The MasTer MysTic - Bhagawan Sri La Sri Pandrimalai

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The MasTer MysTic

aasaan sadguru sri-La-sri PandriMaLai swaMighaL:

his Life and Teachings

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Copyright SRI LA SRI PANDRIMALAI SWAMIGAL CHARITABLE TRUST

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H. H. Samikal at Mahabalipuram

The MasTer MysTic

aasaan sadguru sri-La-sri PandriMaLai swaMighaL:

his Life and Teachings

by Kavi Yogi Maharishi Shuddananda Bharathiar

T. V. RanganathanR. N. SankaranB. S. Anandan

T. V. KamalasamyT. D. Meenakchisundaram

—The Editorial Board

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The Holy Mother

DEDICATED TOTHE LOTUS FEET

OF THE HOLY MOTHER

THE HOLY CONSORT OF SRI-LA-SRI PANDRIMALAI SWAMIGHALSRI SRI SRI SRI SRI PAPPATHY AMMALWHO ATTAINED LORD’S LOTUS FEET

ON 12-8-1965.

“She, whose thoughts are sanctifying,She, whose words are sanctifyingShe, whose deeds are sanctifying,She, who is sanctity embodied,

To That Holy Mother we bow again and again.”

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conTenTs

Preface - 2016 Edition xPrologue xii

CHAPTER 1: THE MASTER MYSTIC 1 The Mysterious Universe Man and his aspirations The Mystic or Self Realised Soul State of a Mystic or Self Realised Soul The Mission of a Mystic or Self Realised Soul The Master Mystic - Aasaan Sadguru Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Swamighal

CHAPTER 2: PANDRIMALAI 9 Pandrimalai Village Swamighal’s parents Birth of His Holiness Swamighal Divinity in Swamighal Swamighal’s Stay at Pandrimalai Swamighal goes to School Swamighal and Salli Samiyar Swamighal’s Divine Initiation Swamighal’s Initiation by His Guru Chatti Samiar Swamighal’s Sadhana Swamighal’s Nature Swamighal and Achandarmalai Paradesi Swamighal’s Learning and Wandering with Achandarmalai Paradesi Swamighal returns to Balasamudram - An adult Swamighal at Pandrimalai again

Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Swamighal

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Swamighal’s Marriage Swamighal’s wedded life Swamighal in Service Swamighal Hailed as Pandrimalai Swamighal Swamighal as President of Village Panchayat Swamighal comes to Dindugul Swamighal at Madras Conclusion CHAPTER 3: MIRACLES 30What are Miracles? What is Chiththu Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Swamighal on Chiththu Divine Articles “Vouchsafed to Aasaan Sadguru Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Swamighal to Satisfy the Desire of His Disciples” Where Science Failed The Miracle Script Wonders of Spiritual Power Some Unforgettable Experiences On Saints and Miracles Conclusion

CHAPTER 4: PHILOSOPHY 61Footsteps on the Sands of Time Guru Learning at the Feet of the Guru The Way to God Worship and the Hindu Pantheon The Holy Panchakshara Love is God

Traits of a Siddha or God-Realised Soul Performance of Karma or Duty Bhakthi or Devotion The Value of Traditions Grihasta-Asrama or life of a householder Sat Sanga Sadu Seva Ishwara-Nama-Sankirtan San-Marga Humility Temple Culture The Potency of Spoken word Sat-Chit-Ananda

CHAPTER 5: PRICELESS PEARLS 95

CHAPTER 6: HALLELUJAH 106

APPENDIX 1091. The Efficacy of Sri Rama Nama 1102. Atma Vidya (Self Knowledge) 1153. Pancha Kosha Viveka 1184. World Experience 1215. The Spinal Centres 1246. The Ideal for All 1287. Sri Appar 1338. Sri Sundaramoorti Nayanar 145

Epilogue 156 Bibliography 158

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Preface2016 ediTion

Indian spiritual wisdom says that man’s only purpose in life is to seek God in this birth. For millennia, experience has honed this to practical methods whereby human beings move in graded doses from Dharma, Artha and Kama to Moksha. Moksha is the ultimate stage where the soul, as Jivatma merges with the Oversoul or Paramatma in Divine Bliss. Though we always think that only the soul is in search of the Divine, the reverse also is true i.e, the Divine also pines for union with the Jivatma and hence uses several stratagems towards this end.

One of the ways by which God tries to woo humans is to manifest Himself as a human and elevate the ordinary to the extraordinary. He manifests Himself in various forms, as Avatars, Rishis, Mahans and Siddha Pursuhas. His Holiness Bhagawan Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Swamighal was one of them and the unique way by which He spread the message of truth was to Divinely materialise typed articles on various topics encompassing the essence of the four Vedas.

To reassure the world that the physical body is only a temporary and ephemeral abode of the immortal soul, Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Swamighal continues His Divine Mission as Sri-La-Sri Sakthevadivel Swamighal. The Divinely materialised articles, a first in the spiritual history of the world, initially, when they were first vouchsafed to Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Swamighal were typed either in English or Tamil. Tiruvacagam says that the Divine is older than the oldest and newer than the newest. We can understand the truth in this statement, as the articles materialised by Sri-La-Sri Sakthevadivel Swamighal are straight from the laser printer! Hinduism is always in the vanguard of progress and this is but one small example of that fact.

In the series of books published under the generic title Holy Panchakshara, we are happy to bring out not only the earlier volumes which had contained the articles materialised by Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Swamighal but also the current ones vouchsafed to Sri-La-Sri Sakthevadivel Swamighal.

Needless to say, we are grateful to Mrs. Jansi S. Reddy and Mr. G. Ramanathan who have made a contribution for the republication of this book and also to the band of volunteers whose deep devotion to the Guru is denoted by the painstaking proofreading of the typescripts, and redesigning of these books. These individuals, like the foundation pillars of a superb building have remained invisible. Our grateful thanks to them too.

May we all benefit intellectually and spiritually by reading these precious gems and assimilate the eternal truths embedded in them. May the Grace of the two Gurus always abide by us all.

Om Tat Sat.

V. D. Ramanathan27 January 2016

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ProLogue

The spark has become a “Jyothi.”

It was a full moon day, the 6th of February, 1974. A casual conversation ensued amongst the devotees present after the monthly pooja, bhajan and the worship of Bhagawan Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Swamighal. Deliberations were to bring out an English journal with an idea to propagate, in general, the ethical, religious and cultural knowledge which are in conformity with the Holy Scriptures and Revelations of Mystics, Sages and Saints besides promoting, in particular, the teachings and philosophy of Aasaan Sadguru Pandrimalai Swamighal.

Thus, the “Light of Pandrimalai”, a quarterly journal was initiated. After a year of dedicated service it gained momentum winning the appreciation and approbation of its readers and subscribers. Due to the Blessings and Grace of Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Swamighal, the journal continues to grow from strength to strength.

The Editorial Board of the “Light of Pandrimalai” believes there is strong need to bring out a book in English, expounding the Life, Teachings and Philosophy of Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Swamighal. This would form a powerful foundation and background to guide devotees and postulants towards a more purposeful and full life, established in Service, Truth, Love and Bliss for the eventual attainment of God-head, the Summum Bonum of life. It is purely with this intention that the “Light of Pandrimalai” is now presenting The Master Mystic - Aasaan Sadguru Pandrimalai Swamighal – One who exemplifies the very essence of all Scriptural codes and conduct.

The Editorial Board submits that this book, on “The Master Mystic”, cannot be held as being exhaustive. What has been written, at best, deals with only a fraction of the greatness and stature of an Illumined Soul, whose wisdom and knowledge knows no bounds. But, even as a candle is sometimes valuable though it bears no comparison with the effulgence of the Sun, this limited endeavour, it is modestly hoped, will bring solace and peace to the readers if not knowledge and beatitude, at least, in a small way.

This book is dedicated to the Holy Mother, the Divine Consort of Aasaan Sadguru Pandrimalai Swamighal, who was the very embodiment of love and service not only to the Master but to all his disciples and devotees.

The Editorial Board expresses its gratitude for the magnificent contributions made by Shri Sivasubramania Iyer of Tiruchy and others for bringing out this book.

The Editorial Board thanks M/s. Jyothi Press, Tiruchy the printers of “Light of Pandrimalai” for printing this book with such distinctive excellence.

The Editorial Board has resolved to present a copy of this book to donors who contributed towards the expenses for educational, cultural, free health services at “OM NAMASIVAYAM”, the Divine Abode of the Master Mystic, at Madras.

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chaPTer 1The MasTer MysTic

The Mysterious Universe:The Universe or Cosmos consists of sentient and insentient

beings. We perceive them either directly or indirectly with the aid of instruments provided by modern science and technology. The advance of science and the techniques of its application have naturally resulted in a continual development of the methodology of observa tion, experimentation and verification. No wonder then, the vista of the variegated world, pertaining to man and matter, has been increasingly widening and expanding in all directions. More the attempts made to unveil the truth behind the secrets of nature and bring them under control, the more elusive they become; the pursuit seems endless.

Some great thinkers and scientists have devoted serious thought to a consideration of the question whether the approach of modern science and technology would lead to the discovery of or, at best, lead towards a clearer picture of the fundamental truth behind nature and whether such pursuits would help solve the complex social and spiritual problems confronting mankind. The consensus amongst such great men, including Einstein, is that a purely scientific approach would not succeed in the pursuit of these objectives. Indeed, they have come to the inevitable conclusion that modern science can only result in the attainment of relative knowledge whose limits are circumscribed by the fallibility of the finite mind of man. The relative truths arrived at by sciences, pursuing the methodology of analysis and synthesis has to be integrated with the Truth intuited by the seer to apprehend the ultimate reality that is One only.

The Hindu Scriptures have been asserting the above facts from time immemorial. They declare, categorically, that the Universe in which all of us live and have our being is that which is cognised by the five senses of man; sound, touch, sight, taste and smell which have their source in the mind. The Self (Seer or the Person) apprehends the Universe through the five senses and the mind, by uniting with matter. There are therefore the three factors (1) spirit (2) matter and (3) mind, the unifier

Haloed Siddhar Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Samikal

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of the two.

The result of the union of matter and spirit is the universe of knowledge, perception and sensation. These are called the pheno-mena. So the Universe is nothing but collective infinite phenomena. If the mind is indwelling and absorbed in the spirit, there is no external universe. If the mind is outgoing and absorbed in the matter, it is lost in the phenomenal world.

Knowledge, as is generally understood, is that arising from world experience. It is based on the knowledge of objects gained through the senses and therefore called sense-knowledge or relative knowledge. There is knowledge which is Absolute and this is called ‘Self-knowledge’ or knowledge of the Atman, the in-dwelling spirit. The real enquiry therefore centres around the problem of (1) the individual being (jiva) (2) how does the individual come into existence in the world (jagat) and (3) what is the destination or goal of the individual, which is the Ultimate Truth (God). This is the mystery of the universe, which requires solution.

Man and his aspirations:In the myriad births that a soul is subject to, rare indeed is it to be

born a man, endowed with rational intelligence, a heart to love and a conscience that can distinguish between the good and the bad, the righteous and unrighteous, the true and the false.

The difference between the animal and man is that animal possesses only the five senses while man possesses the sixth sense also. With this special faculty of reasoning and discrimination bestowed on man, it is his duty to tread the path of righteousness so as to realise the purpose of his existence and reach the goal of life. But barring a few, the rest are immersed in the miasma of material comforts.

The individual lives, originating from the Supreme Self are likened to sparks from a fire. Coming as they do from the fire, the sparks (individual souls) bear the heat and lustre (chaitanya or the capacity to know) of the fire. As the sparks move farther away from the parent fire, they lose their heat and lustre. Similarly, as they lose the awareness of their real state - that they are from the Paramatman - the individual souls lose their godliness. Here lies the cause for unhappiness; unhappiness

that arises from turning away from God. In other words, it is Samsara or Worldly life. The spark, when it moves away from the fire, ultimately ends up as a piece of charcoal. So does the Jivatman when it drifts away from Paramatman. Again, just as the charcoal regains its lustre and heat when taken back to the fire, so also does the individual soul regain its original state, as a spark of the Divine, when it abides in the Atman or Self.

Man desires to possess what he likes most. The only thing that is lovable at all times is the ‘Atman’ or the Illumining Principle in us. The Atman is not an external phenomenon. It is lovable for its own sake. Though the inner consciousness is just one, it is known by its four functions: mind, intellect, consciousness and ego or individuation. These four faculties, which are collectively called the mind, can be perfected by performing virtuous actions and leading lives in accordance with the ways and means prescribed to us either by the Scriptures or by a Guru. We must try to know the Self or Atman because it is the highest object of love. The root cause of all sorrow is our ignorance of Atman - the pure and real substance.

Man has to return to his Master, the Absolute; from Him has he come and it is with Him he can find eternal life.

The Mystic or Self Realised Soul:The Mystic is one who has realised the Absolute - the ‘In-dwelling

spirit’, i.e., the ‘Self ’ in him - through the discipline of his senses and with his purified mind. He declares that the Supreme Lord of the Universe is the One who is Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient, but is depicted by different names by Wise men and Sages. This Absolute God is not only immanent in the Universe created by Him but He also transcends it.

The various synonyms for a Mystic employed in various religious literatures of the world are JeevanMuktar, Self Realised Soul, Seer, Saint, Sage, Siddha, Godman, Mahan, Yogi, Samigal, Mahatma, Sant, Nayanmar, Alwar, Acharya, Guru, Rishi, Munivar, (Chiththar) Siththar, Siddhar etc.

The world has produced, by the Grace of God, Mystics or God-men at different times in various places. The list is legion; Jesus Christ,

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Prophet Mohammed, Zoroaster, St John, St. Mark, Socrates, Confucius, Jalaludin Rumi, Adhi Sankara, Ramanuja, Madhwa, Chaitanya, Mahavira, Buddha. These are just a few examples of illumined Souls who showed the path of Divinity to human beings of their times, bringing them peace and solace. All these God men have left for posterity – in point of fact, for eternity - the profound experiences in the form of Revealed Truths, Teachings or Divine Songs emphasizing and reiterating the Glory of the Supreme Lord of the Universe.

The essential declarations of God-men everywhere and at all times have been the same, namely ‘God is Truth; God is Love.’ Also, the appropriate way to lead one’s life in accordance with the principles of righteousness, morality and ethics, as enuncia ted by all God-men, concur in their core concepts. There are superficial differences, however, to suit human requirements relative to time, place and circumstances, besides considering their tem peraments, habits, customs and traditions, both individual and social.

State of a Mystic or Self Realised Soul:The state of a Mystic is such that people always love him and he, in

turn, has unbounded love for all without any expectations of return. He is the repository of supreme peace, happiness and con tentment and is not affected by opposing character traits namely, likes and dislikes, love and hatred, among others. Other noble attributes like humility, self-control and equability of mind are natural to him.

Since the motive and thought of the Mystic are pure, he always has the right discriminative faculty and is always in a state of equipoise. All his actions are, therefore, ethically correct, sinless and performed without any desire. Sometimes, though, ordinary persons are unable to accurately comprehend some of his actions.

The Mystic lives in the world and moves about the objects of the world, retaining perfect control over his senses. His peerless compassion and love help Him remain constantly engrossed in the welfare of all beings. He is the best guide and friend of all people as he knows what constitutes the true well-being of all. All the traditional paths founded on Truth as basis, are duly recognised by him.

The good qualities of a Mystic or God-realised person defy

enumeration. Intentness of pursuit, correct inference, skill in whatever he undertakes, diplomacy, forbearance, penetrating intellect, knowledge of the Spirit, devotion, aloof ness, dispassion, daring, assiduity, determination, firmness of resolve and action, are only a few of the innumerable good qualities. It is only for the aspirant to God-hood to come into contact with the Mystic; to learn for himself, from his own experience, how the Mystic is in a state of perfection, knowledge and equipoise, though seemingly, he leads an ordinary life amidst us, just like everyone else.

The Mystic of today, Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Swamighal, says that Jeevan Mukthars (Mystics or Siththars) are like persons who live in glass houses. They perceive and discern all inside the house as well as all outside. Common men are like those living in mud-huts; they see only what is inside the hut and, even that, with dim light. The Mystics or Siththars, illumined by the Light of God, have the vision of both subtle and gross. They are cognizant of the cardinal reality that God, Atman or Soul is the doer and they are merely His instruments. They are almost devoid of the ‘I’ or egoism. As Bhagawan Ramakrishna Paramahamsa says, even God-men, if they are to continue to live in this world, must keep to themselves at least an iota of the ‘I’ or ego, to carry out their God-ordained mission in this world.

The Mission of a Mystic or Self-Realised Soul:Mystics or Siththars, because they live constantly in tune with the

Divine Will, are blessed with God’s stamp of authority for a particular mission or duty (ADIKARA), which they perform in this world, according to the dictates of God. The mission varies for each God-man to the extent of his authority, consistent with time, place, circumstance, environments, customs, manners, tradi tions and the like. The intuitive knowledge is imparted to the Mystic by Divine Will in mysterious ways. The Vedas were revela tions made to ‘Rishis’. The ‘Thirumanthiram’ of Thirumoolar was also a revelation.

For some other God-men like Mahavira, Buddha, Sankaracharaya, Madhvacharya, Ramanuja, Manikkavasagar, and Thiruvalluvar, the mission had been to interpret, reiterate and emphasise certain basic values of life and truth enunciated in the scriptures of their times.

Mahavira stressed the importance of Ahimsa.

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Gautama got his enlightenment under the Bodhi-Tree at Bodh Gaya and attained Arhathood and later was called Buddha, “The Enlightened”. He preached the ‘Middle path’, avoiding extremes and choosing the golden mean. He stressed on the eight fold path that leads to Nirvana. They are Right vision, Right intention, Right speech, Right action, Right livelihood, Right effort, Right-mindedness and Right concentration.

From his interpretation of truth, Adhi Sankara constructed Monistic Idealism; a system known as Advaitha. For his postulants, he laid special emphasis on the path of Jnana or Knowledge and Renunciation of desires. He also established the six forms of worship, Shanmatha for the seeker.

Ramanuja formulated Visishtadvaitam or qualified Monism. Devotion and Surrender to the Lord formed the important tenets advocated by Ramanuja.

Madvacharya’s vision of the reality is enshrined in his Dwaita or Dualistic philosophy. Devotion to Lord Narayana (VISHNU) was particularly stressed by him.

Manickkavasagar stressed on the greatness of Saivism. Devo tion to Lord Siva was his cult.

Like these, the missions of God-men varied according to the Divine Will. What these God-men taught were different facets of One ultimate Truth, with particular emphasis placed on certain values.

These depended on the conditions of men and society prevalent at the time, besides what were basically needed for re-interpreting and re-establishing righteous living.

The same God-man often prescribed different disciplines or methods to different aspirants according to their states of spiritual evolution. Unity in diversity has always been acknowledged by all True Seers and Mystics.

God has ordained for some other God-men alleviation of the sufferings of humanity, as their mission. Some become Gurus or Masters, to initiate, instruct and guide disciples and aspirants to attain God-hood and to leave behind a Guru-Sishya Parampara (line of succession) for posterity.

Thus, we find the Divine Lila or God’s play diverse and varied and

he makes the Self-Realised souls His instruments for the benefit of humanity, according to His Will.

Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Swamighal says “Just as a lion rushes out of the cage, the Jeevanmukthar (Mystic) breaks through the fetters of attachment and rushes out of the prison house of the world. He demonstrates, by his life and action, the reality of the Brahman. Having Himself crossed the ocean of births and deaths, he helps others to the shores of immortality. A Jeevanmukthar transcends the scriptures and social conventions and yet never takes a false step. As a piece of wood is borne by the current, so is the body of a Jeevanmukthar carried by the momentum of past actions to the varied experiences of their fruits as they present themselves to Him in due course. As milk is poured into water, as oil is poured into oil, so too the Jeevanmukthar is absorbed in Brahman, in glory, peace, knowledge and Reality.”

The Master Mystic, Aasaan Sadguru Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Swamighal:

In this chapter, we have considered the emergence of God-men from ancient times, in different places, according to Divine Will to serve His purpose in the world. Also a few of the Great-men who have illumined this world from time immemorial, their philosophy and tenets have been mentioned. The State of Mystics, or Self-Realised souls and their God-ordained missions were also explained.

The God-ordained mission of Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Swamighal, the Mystic of to-day, is primarily one of being a Guru or Master, to initiate, teach and elevate spiritual aspirants to God-hood. In this sense, we call him “THE MASTER MYSTIC”. Master means Guru.

Aasaan Sadguru Pandrimalai Swamighal is a born God-man. The Divinity that manifested in him was experienced from his very birth by His parents, relatives and others. Also, the Divine insignia on his person furnish proof of his Divinity by birth. His sadhanas (spiri tual practices) under various Gurus are lessons to aspirants in the spiritual path. His life as a Master Mystic is an embodi ment of scriptural texts. Karma, Bhakti and Jnana vibrate in Him and is in tune with traditions and scriptures. His life blends with the modern advancement in society and civilisation. At the same time, He exemplifies the culture of Bharatiya Vidya and its traditions. Now let us learn in detail of His life and Sadhana.

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chaPTer 2PandriMaLai

Pandrimalai Village:India is blissful and beautiful. Tamilnadu is graceful and peaceful.

India is a land of saints and Tamilnadu is a land of siddars. The saints and siddars are the cosmic sentinels of religion, morality and ethics.

Pandrimalai village, on the slopes of Pandri malai, one of several peaks in the Kodaikanal range of hills in Madurai district of Tamilnadu, in South India, is a small village cradling amidst the peaceful, serene and green grandeur of nature.

The village is situated about 5000 feet above sea level and enjoys a very salubrious climate. The population of the village is about a thousand, most of them being tillers (farmers) of land. There are two temples, a Shakthi temple and a temple for Lord Sri Rama, in the village.

Swamighal’s Parents:There stands the hospitable and affluent home of Sri Arumugam

Pillai, an ideal Sozhia Vellala by caste, who toiled on the soil and shared the harvest with his kith and kin.

The Vellalas, as a community, are traditionally hard working peasants, endowed with the highest qualities in morality, culture and ethics. Sri Arumugam Pillai was no exception. He had all the good qualities, like refined manners, truthfulness, honesty, probity, benevolence, sense of duty and much more.

He was a devotee of Lord Dhandayuthapani at Palani (Lord Murugan or Karthikeya). He was a Siddha doctor and a master of mystical powers also. He was an ardent Saivite.

He and his wife Srimathy Angammal were the embodiments of the virtues of a family, as described in the Tamil scriptures. Love and cheer, grace and peace, health and wealth crowned their conjugal life.

Srimathy Angammal adored her husband and her penance fructified

Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Swamighal in a contemplative mood.

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in the birth of a Divine child.

Birth of His Holiness Swamighal:According to the family custom, the enceinte mother Angammal was

taken to her parent’s home at Balasamudram. Sri Karuppanna Pillai, her father, and Srimathy Goundayee Ammal, her mother, took great care of their pregnant daughter.

The village of Balasamudram is situated in the shadows of Palani Hill - the home of the sacred Lord Murugan. It is about three miles from Palani hill. The early infanthood and childhood of our Master Mystic centered in and about Balasamudram.

The earliest indication that a Divine child would be born to Srimathy Angammal was made by Saint Kasilingam. When the mother was seven months pregnant, the Saint predicted the birth of the Divine child even like Lord Sri Rama. The child would be born in the month of Chitrai under the auspicious and fortunate star ‘Barani’.

God’s Grace descended. The Divine child saw the light of day as predicted by Saint Kasilingam. It was a day of great rejoicing for Srimathy Angammal all her relatives and friends.

The resplendent Divine child, full of grace and beauty radiated Divinity. He had the colour of nimbus like Lord Sri Rama. His lotus eyes were luminous. His smiling coral lips gave a scintillating sweetness of radiant rapture. The Divine child had unusually long hair on his body which were all upturned which reminded people of the Great Roma Rishi of yore (Roma means hair).

They named the Divine child Ramasamy.

Divinity in Swamighal:The Divine baby grew up and the parents and others realised the

Divinity manifest in the infant prodigy, in many forms.

His cradle was filled with the fragrance of varied flowers like jasmine and rose, among others. On one occasion, to the consternation of the mother and other family mem bers, the child suddenly dis appeared. They felt happy only when the child reappeared in the cradle! Sometimes the

Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Swamighal standing over the sacred “Samadhi” of his previous birth.

This holy spot is on the slopes of the Palani Hill.

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child had sacred ash (Vibhuti) smeared on his fore head; at others, the Vaishnavite ‘Namam’ and sometimes ‘Kum Kum’ (Vermillion pigment) were found on his forehead.

The parents now noticed the Divine insignia on the soles of the feet, palms and body. The Conch (Sankhu of Lord Vishnu), the Wheel (Chakra of Lord Vishnu) and the Spear (Vel of Lord Murugan) adorned the soles of his lotus feet. His palms were sanctified with the holy marks of Conch, Wheel, Jnana Vel (Spear of Wisdom), Shadkonam (six apexed triangle), Shakthi Vel (Spear of penance), Flag of Lord Murugan and Trisul - the Trident of Lord Siva. These auspicious marks in the palms and soles proved his incarnate Divinity.

On his body the birth-mark imprint of Wheel on the right shoulder and the Conch on the left shoulder proclaimed that he was part (Amsa) of Lord Vishnu. On his back, the Flag with Cock emblem of Lord Murugan was imprinted as a birth-mark.

The parents noticed a tiny pin-point depression in the middle of the forehead between the eye brows. It represented ‘the third eye’ (Divine eye of Lord Siva) as declared by scriptural authority. As he grew older, the third eye, a dark deep depression (emitting an effulgent glow seen by some devout devotees), grew and became bigger and deeper for all to see and revere.

According to Hindu thought and tradition, God is in the [form less] amorphous as well as formed (Arupa and Rupa) states. God is One and nameless, yet with thousands of names. The God-men have had visions of Divinity in various forms with various names. Lord Narayana with his insignia has been described in detail in the scrip tures. Lord Siva, Goddess Shakti and Lord Murugan have blessed Self-realised souls with their Divine visions. These Realised Souls have recorded their visions in the Holy Scriptures.

The insignia noticed on the body of our Master Mystic are precisely in accordance with tradition and conforms to descriptions in the Holy Scriptures. This proves to every devout Hindu that Divinity was manifest in Ramasamy. Some say he was an incarna tion of Lord Murugan. Some, that he was Shakthi incarnate. Some others affirm that he was an incarnation of Lord Venkatesa (the Lord of Tirupathy Hill).

A coalescence of all the spiritual signs and truths, according to

tradition and scriptures, shone radiantly in the body, mind and thought of Ramasamy. He is Siva Shakthi, Vishnu and Murugan, personified and we, therefore, call him “The Walking Divinity” amongst us.

The parents endearingly called Ramasamy as “Ramu” a pet name which also reminds us of Sri Lord Rama. So, henceforth, we will also call our Master Mystic “Ramu”. The name Pandrimalai Swamighal came into vogue only later in his life.

Swamighal’s Stay at Pandrimalai:After a stay of a few months at Balasamudram village Ramu, with his

mother, was taken to Pandrimalai village.

Ramu’s father Sri Arumugam Pillai adored the Divine child and, as Ramu grew up, his movements, pranks and sports enraptured the fortunate parents and others. There was a rhythm in his walk and poetry in his beauty. The child was nurtured and matured on the lips of nature, fondly tended to by his endearing parents.

Swamighal goes to School:On reaching school-going age Ramu was again brought back to

Balasamudram to his grandparents care. Ramu was put under the tutelage of Sri Ganapathy Vathiar who was managing an elementary school at Balasamudram. At school, Ramu was diligent and a model student. He was also the monitor of the class.

Even at that young age, Ramu had a magnetic personality. Everyone liked and loved him. Ramu was respectful to all elders and to his teacher. He also revealed inherent psychic powers; healing poisoning from snake and scorpion bites, besides curing other illnesses. As a result, there were always people seeking his help; his love and compassion to all was unbounded, like Lord Buddha.

His classmate Silar Sahib was his best friend. He loved plays, drama, Kokttam (dancing with sticks) Kilukulu dance and music. He was full of wit and humour.

Ramu’s mother tongue was Tamil and, in his few years of schooling, he learnt his three R’s exclusively in Tamil. He learnt the Tamil scriptures.

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He did not know any other language, though in his later years he learnt to put his signature in English and even speak a few words in English and Telugu. His schooling lasted only a few years. Swamighal signs his name as Pandrimalai Samikal. Hence in this book, from here on we have used the spelling “Samikal” instead of Swamighal.

Samikal and “Salli” Samiyar:By nature Ramu was God-centric. He was attracted to Lord Murugan

of Palani as iron is attracted by magnet. Ramu was playful as well as prayerful. He often went to Palani to pray before Lord Murugan.

At Balasamudram village stands the temple of Aiyampulli Vinayagar in the middle of the only street in the village. Salli Samiyar (Salli was the lowest current denomination coin during those days), an ascetic of a very high order, was using the temple mandapam (verandah in front of the temple) as his home. He went regularly to Palani Temple, begged for ‘Sallis’ from pilgrims and, in the evening, distributed the ‘Sallis’ to the children playing around the temple at Balasamudram. The temple priest noted that Salli Samiyar was not giving any ‘Salli’ to Ramu. He asked Salli Samiyar, the reason. Salli Samiyar said “Ramasamy is a Periyasamy (Great Saint). How can I give him a Salli?”

The temple priest was, thus, convinced about the Divine nature of Ramasamy and the reason his magnetic personality attracted persons of all age groups.

Ramu had the ‘full blaze’ of Salli Samiyar’s grace and that added momentum to his spiritual progress.

Samikal’s Divine Initiation:Chemmattu Parai Kulam is a tank near Balasamudram village. A

temple of Lord Vinayaka (Ganapathy) stands on its bank. One day, Ramu with his friend Silar Sahib and others were bathing in the tank, swimming and revelling in the nice cool waters. After the bath Ramu came to the Vinayaka temple to pray and there stood a venerable Sage. The Sage told Ramu to go and get ‘Ganja’ (Cannabis Indica) for him from the village shop. Ramu ran for it and got it. Meanwhile his friends were watching Ramu. The Sage asked Ramu to open his mouth and

Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Samikal at his desk

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show his tongue. He smeared the sacred ash (Vibhuthi) on Ramu’s tongue and wrote esoteric words (mantra) with a Vel (spear). He smeared Ramu’s body with the sacred ash (Vibhuthi) and blessed him. To quote Ramu’s words “I felt dazed and a warm current coursed inside my body as the Sage massaged my body inch by inch with Vibhuthi.”

Ramu’s friends, who were watching intently were filled with fear and ran to the village to get the elders. They came and found Ramu gazing at Lord Vinayaka. “Where is the Sage?” they asked and Ramu pointed his finger towards Lord Vinayaka. Ramu had seen the Sage entering the temple and disappear. The elders could find no trace of the Sage.

God’s Grace descended on Ramu. Ramu exhibited unlimited psychic powers. Stones turned to sugar candy, and sand became sugar at his very touch. He played with snakes as though they were his - (as Lord Siva’s) - ornaments. He could cure diseases. He could cure people possessed with evil spirits. His words had wonderful effects. They were oracles from the Inner Delphi.

Young Ramu was unable to comprehend or explain how he performed miracles or the great psychic powers that were manifesting in him.

Ramu became so God-centric that he discontinued schooling after a few years of study. He worshipped the Deities in various temples and was in search of Saints, Sages and Siddhars who would help him in his future sadhana (practice) and mission.

Samikal’s Initiation by His Guru Chatti Samiar:Ramu, as was his wont, visited Palani temple to worship Lord

Dhandaayuthapani (Lord Murugan, Karthikeya) as often as possible. One day, as Ramu was climbing the Palani Hill with his friends, the vibrant roar “Karungal Veetukkaaraa! Palaniappaa!!” (O, Lord of the Stone House! O, Lord of Palani!! O, My Father!!!) reverberated above the chanting of “Muruga, Muruga, Muruganukku AROHARA” by the pilgrims. Ramu stood spell bound. The voice beckoned his soul. He broke away from his friends and, as if attracted by a magnet, retraced his footsteps to the Lord Vinayaka temple at the foot of Palani hill. There stood the tall, gigantic, effulgent Chatti Samiar who was addressing the Lord of Palani Temple, Lord Muruga with his deep throated, resonant, vibrant voice which that came from the depths of his heart, “Karungal

Veetukkaaraa! Palaniappaa!”

Ramu was very short compared to the tall, magnetic, dynamic Chatti Samiar. He could just about reach and touch the thighs of Samiar. To quote Ramu’s words “Chatti Samiar’s thighs were as big as elephant legs. I could reach and just touch him above the knees.” Chatti Samiar said, “Bale! Bale!!” (very good, very good,) and catching hold of Ramu’s tender hands took him to the Peacock mandapam (Peacock is the vehicle (Vahan) of Lord Muruga) in front of Lord Vinayaka’s temple. Keeping Ramu by his side he initiated Ramu and taught him secret mantras (esoteric words).

“Now, my child, secure a pot like this, fill it with water, plant in it a bunch of mirgosa leaves (Neem leaves). You must pronounce such and such mantra while securing the leaves from the tree. Then continue the worship uttering the mantra I have taught you just now. You must continue this worship for 108 days at dawn and dusk. I will be observing you, my child,” said Chatti Samiar.

A word about Chatti Samia, at this juncture, will be appropriate. He hailed from Coimbatore district of Tamilnadu. He was a Gounder by caste and his parents were farmers.

It was through hard practice (tapas and penance), that he attained Self-Realisation. His chosen deity was Lord Muruga of Palani and he made Palani his permanent residence. He cleaned and renovated the “Saravana Poigai”, the holy tank at Palani. A small stone image of Chatti Samiar now adorns the steps of the tank. He had a big mud pot that was his sole possession. He used to beg for his food and eat it from the mud pot. He always kept the mud pot on his head or on his broad shoulders (mud pot is Chatti in Tamil). Hence, the name Chatti Samiar.

Chatti Samiar loved Ramu. Perhaps he too, like Salli Samiar, felt Divinity manifested in young Ramu. Ramu, after his initiation, frequently met Chatti Samiar who taught Ramu many esoteric mantras and helped in Ramu’s spiritual progress. He loved to lay his big head on the lap of Ramu, and Ramu loved to feed the great Chatti Samiar with a particular kind of sweet (Sooiyam in Tamil) that Ramu’s grandparents prepared for Chatti Samiar. Chatti Samiar attained the Lotus feet of the Lord at Palani and his Samadhi (Tomb) is about 200 yards from Peacock mandapam.

Now, let us return to Ramu and his progress.

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Samikal’s Sadhana.After Chatti Samiar’s initiation and upadesa, Ramu went home

and, with the help of his grandmother, arranged for the puja behind closed doors.

The infant prodigy, the sweet child, had now attained boyhood. Firmness in his thoughts and character had developed. Intentness in pursuit was evident.

His intelligence and manners surprised the elders. Ramu was becoming more devoted to his puja as directed by Chatti Samiar. Perception, conception, impression, introspection, concentration and meditation developed day by day. A new vibration, a divine fragrance, a mystic atmosphere, a hidden energy awoke in Ramu, on the fifty second day of Puja.

Let us listen to our Samikal’s own description. “I saw bright effulgence (Jothi) and a vague form arise from the pot containing the neem leaves. I felt frightened. The vision made me mute and mum. My body perspired profusely and I ran out of the closed room. My grandmother saw my predicament. She felt that some thing had gone wrong with my puja. She removed the pot and puja materials.”

Ramu was quiet for a few days. He went in search of Chatti Samiar but could not meet him anywhere. Ramu’s mind was fixed on continuing the puja. He convinced his grandmother and his father, Sri Arumugam Pillai, encouraged him. Ramu started his sadhana (upasana) again. The prescribed 108 days were over and, finally, one day…

Let us again listen to Samikal’s own words:“There was a glow in the pot containing the neem leaves. The glow

intensified and a bright, effulgent splendour, a beautiful vision dazzling my eyes, arose from the pot. I saw Parasakthi seated on the lotus flower of thousand petals. What entrancing beauty! What a seraphic vision!! Words are not adequate to describe it. That Motherly Grace possessed me. Gradually, the Vision of the Universal Mother changed and the Divine Vision of Lord Muruga with his indescribable beauty, his graceful smiling face, the effulgent splendour, appeared.

My hair stood on end. I was perspiring profusely. I experienced an

Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Samikal bathing in the river Cauveri at Kumbakonam during the

Mahamahan festival.

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ecstatic joy. Both visions are permanently imprinted in my mind and every time I think of Them, I am blessed to have their Visions the Divine Visions of Parasakthi and Lord Muruga.”

Samikal’s NatureRamu, still a boy, by Divine Grace developed mystic powers. People

thronged to him with various requests. Ramu always obliged. He was always surrounded by many people. Yet, Ramu behaved just like any other boy, though he exhibited mature wisdom and vast mystic powers. He was simple and serene, and a personification of humility. His devotion and surrender to Lord Muruga was complete.

But Ramu’s mind ruminated. He wanted to know the root cause of his psychic powers and his magnetic personality. He wanted to experience Truth. He was in search of God-men who would enlighten him about the force that was behind the mysterious miracles.

Samikal and Achandarmalai Paradesi.By the Grace of God, Achandarmalai Paradesi, a great Self-Realised

soul came to Balasamudram and at Lord Vinayaka Temple, Ramu the young aspirant boy, met the sage. “Follow me for a long journey” said the sage and Ramu, without even telling his grandparents, walked away with the sage to explore the frontiers of knowledge.

Achandarmalai is a village in Tiruchirapalli district of Tamil nadu. Thiru Marudanayakam Pillai lived there. He was a devout devotee of Lord Siva. Through hard practice and scriptural learning he attained the highest state of Self-Realisation. He was called Achandarmalai Paradesi. He had left his home and had wandered about, perhaps, on a particular mission. Possibly, the mission was with our Ramu of Balasamudram.

The Achandarmalai Paradesi (Paradesi in Tamil means a wanderer, particularly applied to Saints and Siddhars) was an erudite scholar in Siddantha and Vedantha of the Scriptures. He had traversed the paths of Karma, Bhakti and Jnana to attain perfection. His all-powerful, puissant mantra was “Om Namasivaya”.

He was well versed and had practical knowledge of the Agama

Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Samikal

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Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Samikal worshipping His Holy Mother

Sastras, Tantric sadhanas, the science of Chakras (Yantras) and other esoteric sciences. His knowledge of Pranayamam (control of breath, both the unpolished and the subtle, called Vasiyogam in Tamil, the science of psychic points on the body connecting the psychic centres (Marma Sastram in Tamil) and his knowledge of astrology and its off shoot, ‘Pakshi Sastram’ was extensive and practical. He was, indeed, the silent teacher like the traditional Dakshinamoorthy who, while sitting under the tree, taught the four Rishis - Sanaka, Sanantana, Sanatkumara and Sanatsujata - by his Divine Silence.

Samikal’s Learning and Wandering with Achandarmalai Paradesi.Ramu’s inherent quality of acute observation, keen intellect, and

remarkable retentive memory discerned and absorbed all the essentials. He was a true Sishya to his Guru the great Achandarmalai Paradesi. He served his Master diligently, washed his clothes, laid the puja materials for his Master, cooked and served him food, cleaned the room and laid the bed for the Master and, massaged his Master’s body and legs. Like an ideal disciple Ramu always anticipated the desires of his Master.

Ramu learnt only through precept and practice and not from books. Achandarmalai Paradesi was a university by himself and a walking encyclopedia. Within a few years, Ramu absorbed all that his Master could teach him. Ramu learnt the secrets of Pranava Panchakshari mantra “Om Namasivaya” and by hard practice, along with his Master, attained Plenum Bliss (Sachidaanandam). They wandered all over India visiting many shrines, holy spots, bathing in holy rivers and tanks. When the Master found that his disciple had learnt all that he could teach, he brought Ramu, now a mature young man, back to Balasamudram and without even bidding good-bye turned back and went away.

Samikal returns to Balasamudram - An adult.The grandparents and relatives were elated to find their lost child.

Their surprise was immense to see Ramu a full-grown healthy and strong adult; a man with mellowed sweet temper, full of love and compassion for all beings. Gone were the days of playful pranks, the merry and humorous Ramu. Ramu was now sedate and serene and yet simple and sweet. He radiated Divinity and everyone felt that Ramu

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had perfected himself.

After staying for some time at Balasamudram, Ramu went to stay with his parents at Pandrimalai.

Samikal at Pandrimalai again.At Pandrimalai, his parents, relatives and the villagers experienced

and wondered at Ramu’s qualities of love, compassion, obliging kindness, patience and forbearance. Ramu’s mission was and continues to be compassionate service to the suffering humanity.

Being an adult, Ramu loved the lighter side of life also. He loved to swim, to play games and to go hunting. He was an expert marksman too. He was fond of horse riding.

At Pandrimalai, Ramu was blessed with the grace of “Grass-cutting Samy” and “Appam Samy” also.

Samikal’s Marriage.Ramu’s parents, in time, decided to get Ramu married. They

selected Selvi Pappathi Ammal, daughter of Thiru Mariappa Pillai and Thirumathy Karuppayee Ammal of Palani. Ramu agreed and the marriage took place at Palani with great élan. After marriage, the couple stayed at Balasamudram for a few days at Ramu’s grandparent’s house and left for Pandrimalai.

Dear reader, let us tarry a while to learn about the married life of Ramu who later came to be hailed as Pandrimalai Samikal.

Samikal’s wedded life.At Pandrimalai Ramu stayed with his parents. The wedded life was

an ideal householder’s life; a righteous life of loving and giving. As the Scriptures say, “Not for sexual attraction, not for passion we love each other but for soul’s magnanimous felicity” was also Ramu’s goal of wedded life. Srimathy Pappathy Ammal kept the house clean, neat and was devoted and dedicated to her husband. She was of great help to Ramu in his spiritual sadhana - the puja. Her chaste fidelity, magnetic attraction, love and compassion elevated and ennobled the harmony

Aasaan Sadguru Samikal with His Holy Consort During “Pada Puja”

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of life. She was soft spoken and radiated motherly love just as Ramu radiated Divine love. Srimathy Pappathy Ammal was an ornament of the home.

Their conjugal life lasted only for a few years and, later, after spiritual initiation by her husband, she became a disciple serving her Master.

They had a daughter Ratnammal, a gem of a girl with all the finest qualities of her father and mother. She was love personified and was loved by all. She attained the Lotus Feet of the Lord at the prime of life.

Their son Pechimuthu Raja now looks after their estate. He is married to Ramagiri alias Lakshmi. They have two sons, Vetri Vadivel and Sakthe Vadivel and a daughter Rajarathinam. At the time of writing this book these children are studying in schools at Madras, Tamilnadu.

Samikal In Service.During Ramu’s stay at Pandrimalai Sri K. Sasi Sekara Iyer, the younger

brother of Zamindar of Kannivadi, appointed Ramu as an accountant in the Zamin. By diligence and hard work, natural to Ramu, he was promoted as Revenue Inspector soon. Though Ramu was working for the Zamin, his mind was always attuned to God.

Samikal Hailed As Pandrimalai Samikal.His service to humanity continued. People recognised the divine

nature and the divine powers and began addressing him as “Samikal”, and “Samy” in affectionate reverence.

Pandrimalai Samikal’s father Arumugam Pillai attained the Lotus feet of the Lord and hence Samikal had to leave his job and return to Pandrimalai to look after the estate and take over the responsibility of managing the big family. From then on Ramu was hailed as Pandrimalai Samikal and revered as Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Samikal.

Samikal as President of Village Panchayat. At Pandrimalai, Pandrimalai Samikal’s compassion, patience and

merciful acts converted Pandrimalai into a Holy place. He knew how to choose the right person to do the right job and at the right time so

that the benefits could be shared by all. He became the President of the village Panchayat.

His spiritual life also expanded. Devotees poured in from all villages and towns, He was a standing example to all, that one can remain in the family and still live the life of a Jeevanmukthar or Self-Realised soul. His duty was service to humanity.

Samikal Comes To Dindugul.Later, to suit the convenience of the devotees and disciples, His

Holiness Pandrimalai Samikal settled down at Dindugul - a small town in Madurai District of Tamilnadu.

Along with the Holy consort, Samikal toured round India many times visiting shrines, holy places and blessing devotees. They toured Malaysia and Ceylon also.

Their life has been intimately interwoven with the lives of their many devotees and disciples. In short, they lived for the sake of humanity to show by example, how one can attain peace and happiness in life.

Their humility, consideration for the welfare of others, their patience and ceaseless work of alleviation of physical and mental sufferings of fellow human beings, were the crowning glory of their family life.

The Holy consort fell ill at Dindugul. She was taken to Madurai to Dr. Subbiah’s house where after a short period of continued illness, The Holy Mother attained the Lotus feet of the Lord on a full-moon day (12—8—1965). Her body was cremated at Madurai according to the family custom and the Holy ashes were immersed in the various rivers of India and in the sea. To prove that the Holy Mother was Divine, the Holy ashes turned into Kum Kum (Vermillion powder) and Turmeric, before immersion in the holy waters of India.

Samikal At Madras.Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Samikal, to satisfy his devotees and disciples,

came to Madras and He is now at “Om Namasivayam”, 3/1, Village Road, Nungambakkam, Madras-34.

As mentioned earlier, the life of His Holiness is one of ceaseless

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service to humanity. Apart from his puja in the morning and evening that he does within closed doors, he is available at all hours for service to fellowmen.

He is simple, and unassuming. There is no paraphernalia to declare him a Saint or Sage. He talks only Tamil and even that is short and terse; to the point. Neither does He give discourses nor does He elaborate on Vedanta or Siddanta sastras. Although He is full of wisdom, having gained “That knowledge” by which all other knowledge is known, He descends to the level of the devotee with whom he converses, to enable the devotee to under stand the intricacies of life.

Samikal is master of the super sensuous universe. A transcenden-tal personality, he incarnated himself in this mortal world to unfold his matchless Divine Energy and unfathomed Spiritual perfection, the supremacy of the Supreme Soul.

God Almighty is Grace Himself. His Holiness Samikal, as the instrument of the Almighty radiates His spiritual power. He is humility and compassion personified. O how many, how often has He showered his grace on individuals.

In 1971 Samikal visited Bhutan at the invitation of SRI SRI SRI SRI SRI Jigme Dorji Wongchuk, King of Bhutan. He also visited Sikkim and Assam. The exhilarating and sublime Himalayan climate and the serenity and grandeur of the abode of Lord Siva enchanted Samikal. The King of Bhutan and his ministers called on Samikal and people thronged to have His darshan. The miracles of Samikal while at Bhutan are too numerous to recount. Samikal was invited by Karmapa Lama the Buddhist head of a religious sect while at Sikkim.

Yet, his childlike simplicity and charm, solicitude for the welfare of people irrespective of caste, creed, religion or status in life, His intense desire to elevate aspirants on their Godward march are well known and evident. But, the Master Mystic Sri-La- Sri Pandri malai Samikal says with utter humility, “I am a devotee of Lord Muruga I am a servant of Lord Muruga. I am not God. I am doing spiritual sadhana for obtaining Divine Grace for the good of humanity. I am also a nun like you. I am a servant of the people.”

Now Samikal is engaged in the Yantra Pooja for the temples at New York and Pittsburg of North America (U. S. A.) It is a stupend ous

work which only a Divine personality like the Master Mystic Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Samikal can do, for the good of humanity.

Conclusion:In this Chapter we have learnt of the birth of Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai

Samikal as a Divine child. The various signs of Divinity have been enumerated. His school education, His first Divine initiation, and practice under Guru Chatti Samiar and Achandarmalai Paradesi and His Divine visions have been recorded in detail. His Mystic powers and miracles have been described; His marriage and married life, recounted in detail. His mission in life has also been described.

The one question which the reader might ask is what is the age of Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Samikal? Traditionally all Great God-men and Self-Realised souls in India have not left any record of their date of birth or even of their parentage. They just blossomed, illumined the souls during their time, fulfilled their ordained mission, and passed away, perhaps unhonoured and unsung. But their teachings and hymns, in the form of Scriptures, live on for eternity. Later, as civilisation advanced, historians demanded exact chronologi cal data. But the Self Realised souls acting under Divine will prefer to follow the traditions and culture of Bharat (India). There have been many Siddhars who have blessed the land of Tamilnadu but they have not left any record about themselves. Our Master Mystic, Pandrimalai Siddhar also follows the traditions set by Siddhars of Tamilnadu and the Rishis of yore of India.

Now let us recount some of the miracles of our Master Mystic Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Samikal.

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chaPTer 3MiracLes

What are Miracles?The word ‘Miracle’ is from the Latin word ‘Miraculum’, which means

an object or act of wonder. It is popularly understood as a marvellous event due to the intervention of some supernatural agency.

For a scientist, the universe is an object of wonder. The more he tries to unravel its mysteries the more he is bewildered and wonders at the perfection of laws of nature. To the extent scientific knowledge increases, more discoveries are claimed. There is how ever a conscious emergence of the fact that a Mighty and Supreme Intelligent Principle is the source as well as the sub-stratum of this universe of infinite variety and complexity.

God Almighty, the Supreme Intelligence, creates and pervades the cosmos. He is immanent and transcendent. The cosmos exists and functions under Divine laws. The laws of Nature are but a part of them. God, who caused the Natural laws, has within Himself the power to alter His own Laws. Extraordinary phenomena, which are uncommon and against known natural laws appear to common men as miracles. Baghawan Ramakrishna Paramahamsar, to satisfy a devotee, showed him a red rose plant that contained a red rose and a white rose in the same twig to demonstrate the Omnipotence of God and His extraordinary powers.

The Holy Bible is replete with the Miracles performed by Lord Jesus Christ. “Except Ye see signs and wonders Ye will not believe” says St. John.

Astounding miracles, at variance with the known laws of nature and beyond human understanding and intellect, have been performed by Mystics at different times and in various places. These have been recorded in the hagiology of the Mystics and in the Holy Scriptures of the world.

Miracles are totally different from material scientific achieve ments of man. The latter are material effects and are the products of human

intellection. But a miracle, even though it may produce a material effect, transcends all intellectually known processes of natural laws and therefore is attributed to a Supernatural or Super human agency.

What is “Chiththu”?The Tamil word for Miracle is “Chiththu” and “Chiththukkal” is the

plural form of “Chiththu”.

“Chiththu” or “Siththu” is a Tamil word with two meanings.

“Chiththu” means, the Ashtama - Siddhis - the great eight powers - Anima, Mahima and others. These Ashtama Siddhis can be attained through various types of yogic exercises. On some deserving people, one or more or all of the Ashtama Siddhis are bestowed as a gift by the Grace of God.

“Chiththu” also means an act of Divine Will or Divine Grace, and the person whom God uses as His instrument is called “Chiththar” or “Chiththan”. Chiththar or Siddhar is a Self Realised Saint, a Jeevan Mukthar, a Mystic.

In this book we use the word “Chiththu” in the latter sense, viz., an act of Divine Grace.

In English language there is no exact equivalent for “Chiththu” or “Siththu” except the word ‘miracle’. But the word miracle is so loosely applied and so variously understood, that a divine miracle or Chiththu is more often misunderstood, and misinterpreted, than otherwise.

Sri La Sri Pandrimalai Samikal on “Chiththu”:Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Samikal, The Master Mystic, speaking about

“Chiththukkal” says:

1) To a child, the magician’s sleight of hand tricks on the stage is a miracle, but as the child grows up it recognises that magic is not miracle. Again, the magician requires a stage, and other appliances to perform his tricks. Without them he is helpless. Magic is not “Chiththu”.

2) Some people gain control over incorporeal intelligences or disembodied spirits (Black magic - Witchcraft - Kutti Chathan -Yakshini’s etc) and, with their help, perform certain types of (good or bad)

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wonderful acts. These are not Divine “Chiththukal”. Such miraculous acts are limited and conditioned by the ability of the ingenious agency employed and the mastery of the man controlling it. Some time or other this subtle agency may desert the man or even harm him, and he cannot perform his wonderful acts any more. These actions also are not to be confused with true miracles or “Chiththukkal”.

3) An aspirant in the spiritual path, in whatever way he progresses, finds at some stage of development, that he has acquired extraordinary powers. Samikal compares the spiritual path to rough thorn - strewn path in an unexplored forest. The path is very difficult. The aspirant gains some inner light. He sees wild flowers in the forest, beautiful to look at, and they attract the aspirant. Samikal compares the development of psychic powers in the aspirant to the wild flowers in the forest. He can pluck the flowers, enjoy or throw them away, and march onwards to his ultimate goal Sachidaanandam (Existence - Knowledge - Bliss). Or as most often happens, the aspirant on seeing the flowers may feel happy and keep on enjoying them. In other words having attained the occult powers, the aspirant may delude himself into thinking that he has achieved some thing great and extraordinary.

The wild flowers are the psychic powers - Ashtama Siddhis. If the aspirant halts at this level of his spiritual development and gets deluded by his acquired psychic powers, and starts exhibiting the powers with selfish motives, he soon finds himself exhausted of the powers. Samikal compares these powers to that of a rain-fed pond. The more water you take from the pond, the sooner it gets emptied.

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Saint Ramalinga Swamigal, Swami Vivekananda, Thayumana Swamigal, Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Samikal and all other great Realised Souls have time and again warned the aspirant not to tarry on the path and get deluded at this stage of their spiritual development.

4) ARUL CHITHTHU or Chiththu or divine miracle has the stamp and authority of Divinity. God Almighty is unbounded by the limitation of time and space, cause and effect. He is Grace Himself. The Self-Realised men, - Jeevan Mukthars - Mystics, know that they are merely the instruments of the Almighty God and the miracles (Chiththu) that they do are according to Divine Will. The power they have, to perform miracles is from the perennial, eternal, fountain spring of Divine Grace that can never be depleted. The more one draws from it, the faster the

Grace flows. And that is the truth about Divine Grace – “Chiththu”. It is beyond intellect and science. Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Samikal calls it Arul Chiththu - Act of Divine Grace.”

The life of Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Samikal is one abounding with miracles glorifying the Omnipotence of Lord Muruga, the Ishta Deivam (the deity) of Samikal. Like Lord Jesus Christ, Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Samikal says that it is his mission to awaken the dormant Divinity in us and lead us in our Godward march according to God’s Will.

Telepathy, telaesthesia, psychometry, telekinesis, levitation, aport, etc, are only a few of the many types of miracles which Samikal performs on and off.

He produces for his ardent devotees the holy ‘prasad’ Vibhuti (sacred ash), Kum-Kum, or Akshadai (Sacred Saffron-dipped Rice). Sweets, sugar candy and fruits are precipitated into existence for the young and old alike. His miraculous cures of many diseases are to be seen and experienced to be believed. His powers over the subtle forces, both good and evil, are extraordinary.

Dr. R. was surprised to find the forecasting by Samikal of certain events in the course of a day on the occasion of the visit of Samikal to Rashtrapathi bhavan, at New Delhi, which happened exactly with clock-like precision and accuracy.

The King of Bhutan was amazed to see ordinary water turning into rose water by the mere touch of Samikal.

The Governor of Andhra Pradesh was thrilled to receive a divine article brought into existence in typed sheets within a few seconds by the mere wish of Samikal on a subject of the Governor’s choice. The article was about ‘Hanuman’, the great devotee of Lord Sri Rama, of the great epic Ramayana.

Dr. Schaltanbrandt, an eminent Neurosurgeon of West Germany was wonder-struck when a sheet of paper containing the Tamil Upadesa (words of initiation), transliterated in German language, came flying from the Pooja room at the instance of Samikal, to facilitate the correct pronunciation of the Upadesa Mantra by the German doctor.

Miss. Indra, (now Mrs. Kasinathan), could not believe her eyes when she was vouchsafed, by the Grace of Samikal, the vision of her future husband.

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The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Mr. Brahmananda Reddy stood spellbound at the Sannidhi (sanctum) of Lord Sri Venkateswara at Tirupati, wondering at the extraordinary powers of Samikal, when there was a shower upon his out-stretched palm, of Akshadai (sacred rice), Kum-Kum etc., by the Grace of Lord Sri Venkateswara.

Divine Articles “Vouchsafed to Aasaan Sadguru Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Swamigal to satisfy the desire of his disciples”:

The Arul Chiththu of our Master Mystic out of unbounded grace materialises Divine Articles for the benefit of humanity.

Lord Ganapathi is believed to have written Mahabharatha, one of the two Indian epics, to the dictation of Sage Vyasa.

Lord Nataraja (Siva, in dancing pose) helped his devout bhakta, Saint Sekkilar, the Vellala Saint poet of Tamilnadu with the first two words of the first stanza of the great work called Periyapuranam, narrating the lives of the canonised saints of Tamilnadu.

There is, again, the fascinating story of Lord Krishna appearing as Jayadevar before the latter’s wife and rewriting a poem that had been struck off by Jayadevar himself.

The miracle at Sinai is too well known. Who can forget the generosity of the Lord who wrote with fire on the stone at the top of the hill of Sinai, the Ten Commandments, to satisfy St. Moses, one of the chosen sons of God?

God, thus, with his unbounded mercy helped Saint Vyasa, Saint Sekkilar, Saint Jayadevar, St Moses and many others. Lord Muruga, who is the Ishta Deivam of Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Samikal, never fails to vouchsafe to Aasaan Sadguru Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Samikal Divine articles to satisfy the desire of his devotees. The first article was on ‘The Efficacy of Sri Rama Nama’ - a special article for the Rama Navami Number of Bhavan’s Journal, Bombay, dated 6th April, 1970. Samikal handed over this article to Shri S. Ramakrishnan, editor of Bhavan’s Journal saying, “So here is the Special Prasadam for you, take it.” The editor could not believe his eyes. On his palm lay the typed script of the article. In the room from which the article came there was neither a typewriter nor a stenographer who could have done this. The same editor approached Samikal, for blessings for his Journal,

with another article in continuation of the one on ‘Rama’. “So, after Rama, Krishna. Well, that is how it should be. After Sri Rama comes Sri Krishna, to complete it all”. With these words, Samikal promptly invoked the blessings of Lord Sri Muruga for the required article on Lord Sri Krishna and, it descended, in an inexplicable flutter, into the palms of Samikal. This article has been published in the Bhavan’s Journal dated 19th April, 1970.

This Divine Siddhi (Chiththu) is something marvellous and unique in the history of Divine Revelation in Letters.

There is no recorded historical evidence on the lives of Mystics that Divine Articles have been produced previously. All the articles materialised by Samikal, on various and diverse subjects, such as metaphysics, episodes from Puranic literature, lives of Mystics, or even a topical subject on the ethics of Journalism entitled ‘Ideal for All’ (published in the April, 10th, 1974 issue of the quarterly journal of “Light of Pandrimalai”) are typewritten in English. Sanskrit or Tamil words are transliterated into English. All these divine articles commence with the opening statement “Vouchsafed to Aasaan Sadguru Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Swamigal to satisfy the desire of his disciples.”

In this book we have published a few of the materialised articles as appendix. The articles have been published in Bhavan’s Journal of Bombay, Bhagyabarani Journal of Madras and ‘Light of Pandrimalai’ of Tiruchirapalli.

His Holiness Samikal’s life is also so closely intertwined with the lives of so many devotees that the incalculable miracles Samikal had performed, for their benefit and welfare, are beyond recounting in totality. A few miracles are narrated in the following pages.

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where science faiLed*

* This article “Where Science Failed” appeared in The Bharat Jyoti Journal of Bombay dated 29-3-70.

— by Vamanrao Rane

“These doors are no bar to me. I can have them opened without anyone from inside having to do so, but how can the son and father quarrel with each other!” This was the statement reportedly made by his Holiness Pandrimalai Swami, one afternoon about 1959 when he visited Ganeshpuri and found that the doors of “Kailash” were closed when Nityanand must have been resting inside. This was reported to me by Mr. D. in 1967 as he was accompanying the Swami during the visit.

About the Swami’s power there does not appear to be any doubt. Dr. N. a young and leading Neurosurgeon of Madras, who is a double F. R. C. S., from London and Edinburgh, and M S. from Madras and otherwise a highly qualified doctor, first mentioned to my friend H., about the saint in 1916 when he happened to meet him in Madras. I do not know in what connection the talk centred on such topics but when it did, he narrated to him his personal experiences, as a result of which he had become an ardent devotee.

Dr. N. got introduced to the Saint a few years ago in rather peculiar circumstances. There was a young patient of his who, in his late twenties, was suffering from sarcoma/cancer of the left arm. This was spreading very rapidly and after a few months’ treatment the doctor told him that he would not live for more than 4 years but that he could save him from his agony by amputating the diseased arm. The young man preferred to die with his arm on and refused an operation.

A week or so later the doctor was invited to the patient’s house and when he was ushered in, he found the Swami there! The latter asked him what his science had to say about the young man’s disease. The doctor repeated what he had told the patient earlier. The Swamiji then made a loud pronouncement somewhat as follows: “This young man will completely recover from his malady in 8 months from today. Not only

that, you will not be able to say which side was afflicted!” The doctor continued that the young man did recover completely in 8 months from that date! As a scientist he stated that he was prepared to accept this as an extraordi nary occurrence but not necessarily unscientific as it could be attributed to some plausible biological changes in the system of the patient.

In other words, he felt that science might be able to offer even a lame explanation for the cure, but what baffled him as a scientist, was the second part of the pronouncement namely that he would not be able to detect which of the two sides was affected. He stated that there was not a single scar left! He had a complete record of the X-ray pictures before and after the cure. The absence of scars was the most baffling poser to science. At the time he narrated this, he was preparing an article on this subject for a German Research Medical Journal.

Another case of his which was similarly handled by the Swamiji related to a girl of seven who had gone blind as a result of brain tumour. He operated on the tumour and the operation was success ful but he had to convey the sad news to the parents of the child that she had lost her sight permanently as her optic nerves were completely dead. A few weeks later one evening the Doctor was invited to the young patient’s house and there to his consternation he found the Swamiji!

The Saint again asked him what his medical science had to say about the malady of the child. The Doctor said that the optic nerves being dead the child would not be able to see again. Immediately he got the child to stand in front of him with her back towards him and asked her to close the eyes. He then asked the parents to stand on either side of her. He then asked the lights in the room to be switched on. He instructed the girl to open her eyes but the girl said she could not do so. The lights were switched off and the lights in the corridor were switched on. The girl was again asked to open her eyes. The girl did as she was told and she found that her sight had been restored. The Swamiji said that the girl would be absolutely normal from that date. The Doctor added that he had been watching the girl for the last 6 years and that she was absolutely normal!

A cure was effected before my friend H. on September 8, ‘68 when I happened to be in Madras. Dr. N’s niece who was studying for medicine in Madras got a stroke, sometime end of August 1968. She was unconscious in the hospital for 3 days and was later lying

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in a serious condition. According to medical opinion, in the case of youngsters, such a stroke proves fatal or life long suffering. On September 8, Swamiji arrived in Madras from Tirupathi. Dr. N. met him in the morning along with other devotees. Dr. N. told him that his niece was in a rather serious condition. The Swamiji told him that we should not worry and that she should be moved to his house. Though as a Doctor this would have been the last thing he would have done, he carried out the instructions and brought the patient home.

That evening the Swamiji who was attending some function arranged for him specially, made a diversion from the route to visit the doctor’s house to see the patient though he had not earlier declared his intention to do so. Dr. N was naturally pleasantly surprised. In about five minutes, his niece, the patient, left the bed and was standing supported by a chair! Having done this, the Swamiji left the Doctor’s house. Before Swamiji got into the car with the doctor, the ailing girl walked across the garden to offer her salutations! There were about a dozen persons present on the occasion.

The MiracLe scriPT*

*The “Miracle Script” appeared in

The Bharat Jyoti Journal of Bombay on 29-3-70.—

by S. Ramakrishnan.

May I share with the readers something very significant about an article which His Holiness Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Swamigal, a Siddha Purusha from the South, has been good enough to give for the Sri Rama Navami Number of the “Bhavan’s Journal” scheduled for publication on April 5, 1970?

It was eight o’clock on the night of Thursday, March 19, 1970. The telephone rang. I rose to answer it.

“Hello, Lakshmanan speaking. I just rang up to tell you that His Holiness has returned from Matheran. Why not attend the Puja?”

It was nearing nine when I reached ‘Chandralok’, Napean Sea Road, the residence of His Holiness’ host in Bombay, Shri T. S. Swaminathan. I. C. S. (Retd).

The aarti was in progress. That over, Swamiji started distributing Vibhuti (sacred ash) to the devotees gathered there. I was taken to his room. In the room were Sri Kamalaswami, former Member of Parliament, and Shri T. S. Swaminathan.

“Bhavan’s Journal is doing commendable service in disseminating ethical and spiritual values” said Swamiji.

“By the grace, blessings and good wishes of many godly and good souls like your Holiness,” I muttered.

“Your Rama Navami Number. When will it be ready?” asked Swamiji.

“I was just thinking of requesting you Swamiji, to bless the Bhavan’s Journal with a special article for our Rama Navami Number.”

“When do you want it?” queried Swamiji.

“As early as is convenient to Swamiji”, I submitted.

“All right. Will you wait outside for a few minutes?”

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I rose in obedience and withdrew to the ante room. The other two followed me.

The four-minute interval brought to my mind a host of mixed ideas and feelings. Would he announce to me the subject and then say that the article would be sent in a couple of days? Or would he place before me a few subjects and ask which of them I wished to write about. All sorts of ideas flitted across my mind.

Swamiji called us in again,

“So here is the special Prasada for you; take it.” I could not believe my eyes. In my palm lay the typescript of this article.

In the room, there was neither typewriter nor a stenographer who could have done this.

“Santanchi ucchishte balato kay pamare janave he” I had read this in Tilak’s Commentary on the Gita. Really what can an ordinary mortal convey to the people, for is there nothing that is not already the left over from the feast of the Saints.

I took leave of the Swamiji, with a mixture of awe and fulfilment, pondering over the lines of Shakespeare in Hamlet: “There are more things in heaven and earth Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

wonders of sPiriTuaL Power*

This article was published in “The Bharat Jyoti” Journal dated 12-4-1970.

—by C. K. Narayanswami

A teen-age girl told me that “to be in the presence of Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Swamigal and sit looking at him is like forgetting the world. It gives great mental peace. One does not have any worries. I have gone to have darshan of the great soul on two or three occasions. And such is the experience I have had.”

The Pandrimalai Swamigal has been in Bombay for well-nigh three weeks. Somehow his presence in the city has come to be looked upon as a great event. Hundreds throng the places he visits, not knowing what it is that attracts them towards him. I have also been drawn to him and I have tried to observe the behaviour of the crowds. I have been struck by the serenity in their countenance as they sit, watching him.

Many who seek ‘darshan’, do so with their personal problems and the number of these who bring their ailing children, or suffer from some affliction is legion. In most cases medicine, or medical care, has been ineffective. They seem to believe that the Swamighal could cure them. His touch and a word of consolation from him seem to satisfy them and they return with hope and faith.

MiracleAn ophthalmologist who had his training in Vienna and London and

who runs his own eye-hospital in Thiruchirapally in Tamil Nadu, is with the Swamighal. He narrated to me his own story of conver sion. ‘I have been, and I still am, a rationalist. I have been an iconoclast. I did not believe in spiritual miracles. I have told the Swamighal this. But one incident completely changed my entire attitude.”

It happened thus: “I had performed an eye operation on a young girl. The results were not to my satisfaction. The girl seemed to be destined

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to lose her sight. I was concerned and was in great mental agony. In a flash the thought of Pandrimalai Swamigal came to my mind. I thought of him and intensely prayed that the girl’s sight should not be impaired.

The Swamighal was not anywhere near the place. But to my great astonishment, he appeared the next day. I met him and conveyed to him my anxiety. He asked me to remove the bandage over the girl’s eyes. When it was removed, lo and behold, the girl’s eyes had regained their sight and I found the girl happy.”

The doctor told me of another incident. Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Swamighal has his prayers and puja every day. When he sits for puja, all the doors are closed. The puja goes on for a long time. This is his daily routine. One day his mother got curious to know what her son was doing in the closed room and would not be disturbed or distracted for such a long time.

To see for herself, she got on to the attic of the house. There was a small ventilator. She opened it and peeped into the puja room. At the time she had her grandson on her hips. After she had peeped in, to everyone’s distress she looked dazed as though she had gone out of her mind and the little child on her hips stuck on to her.

This caused great anxiety to Swamighal’s father who asked his son what he had done to his mother and the child. Swamighal’s response was: “Why did mother look into the puja room? Let her express her regret for the indiscretion and all will be well” and all was well.

The doctor told me that he had heard the story from the Swamighal’s mother. “These incidents turned me into a believer and I am the Swamighal’s disciple now. I have realised that there is a power which reason alone cannot comprehend or explain.”

A journalist friend told me of an incident which happened in Delhi some years ago. Swamighal had gone to Delhi and was staying in the house of a friend.

This friend’s son was a bright student in the college. One even ing he was returning from the college full of pride. He beamed with joy and happiness. Swamighal asked the boy what made him so happy that evening.

The boy said that he had won the debating shield. The subject on which he spoke was “God is a myth.”

“Do you sincerely believe what you say” asked Swamighal.

“Yes I do not believe in God. It is this belief that gave me the strength to advocate my point vigorously and passionately. I could speak with conviction. Otherwise could I have won this trophy?”

For all his conviction, it was the boy who would go to the flower market every evening to fetch the flowers for Swamighal’s puja. When asked how he reconciled his denial of God with his fetching the flowers, he would reply: “You are our guest. It is my duty to look to your needs.” The Swamigal smiled.

FaithOne day the Swamighal called the youngster to his side and gave him

a mango and asked him to eat it. The boy, instead, put it in his pocket and as it was time for him to go to fetch the flowers for the puja he left in a hurry. While returning, he got into an auto-rickshaw (Phut-Phut) with three others. It met with a terrific accident and the other two passengers were killed on the spot. The boy sustained serious head injuries and was brought to the house. He was unconscious and was in bed for a few days with the family doctor attending on him every day.

One day when the doctor was attending on the boy, Swamighal also came to the bedside and enquired of the doctor about the condition of the boy. They began discussing about life and death. The boy was recovering and was following the conversations. Swamighal asked the doctor how he pronounced a patient dead before giving the death certificate. The doctor explained.

The Swamighal by some unknown power applied the doctor’s criteria. On the doctor testing his criteria found that the boy was talking and laughing.

The boy who was watching all this spoke. “I owe my life to the mango. I am sure that it was the magic of the mango that saved me.”

From that time the boy who did not believe in God, became Pandrimalai Swamighal’s devotee.

At a meeting with newsmen in Bombay the other day, the Swamighal produced kumkum and scented rice given as prasad in the Thirupati temple. These came from nowhere to the amazement of the journalists

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present. Generally sceptic as they are, their feeling of wonderment in them and the scramble for the rice and kumkum that followed had to be seen to be believed.

The mystery surrounding the ‘miracle scripts’, one of which has appeared in The ‘Bharat Jyoti’, has, I could see, roused wide spread curiosity. Indeed, there are still sceptics who think it is all a fake. That any such feeling is born out of disbelief in divine inter vention or the marvels of spiritual power which Siddhas have attain ed, has since been demonstrated more than once. Many people have told me of what they had witnessed with their own eyes in Thana one night and how awe-struck they were when scrolls of paper descended into the hands of a supplicant. He had desired an article on Sri Krishna for the Bhavan’s Journal.

A professor in a well-known institute of scientific research in Bombay told me of his experience. He was asked to hold a rolled piece of blank paper which he had with him between the fingers of one hand and a pen on the other. Within minutes, he told me, he could feel the sensation of something being written on the paper. When he unrolled and looked into the paper, he was astounded to see a message which reflected what was in his mind. The ink on the paper was of the same hue as in the pen which was still held firm by him.

InsightThe same professor told me of another experience. Late one evening

Pandrimalai Swamighal had gone to the institute. The pro fessor said that the Swamigal had desired to have a look at the equipment used for research work there. As the Swamigal entered the precincts of the institute, it appears, he was taken in by the beauty of the green lawn and they preferred to have a stroll. The professor was asked to pick a pebble and put it in his pocket. As they strolled talking, the professor was again asked to put the pebble in his mouth - The stone had turned into sugar candy!

What spiritual insight the Swamighal has was demonstrated at a friend’s house on the night last Monday. To the utter consternation of the friend, the Swamighal asked him about an event which had taken place many years ago and about the precious sacred memento he preserved and daily worshipped. The friend was told that the man who

had appeared then was a great soul who has had God-realisation. The friend confessed he had never known him, where-from he had come, or where he had gone. He had left no name or address.

At the same place, the friend and his wife were asked if they had paper and pen. The friend had a crumbled piece of blank paper somewhere in his pocket. His wife fetched a pen and held it in her hands. The Swamighal folded the crumbled piece of paper, hardly two-inches square, and put it below his eyelids. When the paper was taken out, to the amazement of several people present on the scene, it contained a message written in green ink. The lady was still holding the pen in her bands. The message was about some anxiety upper-most in the friend’s mind.

Indeed, many are the accounts of the spiritual healing and demonstration of the wonders of the spiritual powers associated with His Holiness Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Swamighal. The personal experience of hundreds of people during the short period he has been in their midst has roused great popular interest and has made a tremendous impact on this great city of Bombay. Sceptics there will, of course, be and the unenlightened may continue to disbelieve and scoff; but what people have seen with their own naked eyes and experienced in person cannot make truth, untruth. The Swamighal has shown that there is a power which transcends our mundane scheme of things and all the marvels of modern science and techno logy before which all men must bow in awe and reverence.

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soMe unforgeTTabLe exPeriences*

*This article appeared in The Bharat Jyoti Magazine section—

Bombay dated 20-12-1970.—

By A. B. Nair

The inadequacy of reason or ‘mental logic’ is conceded by many great intellectuals like Upton Sinclair {American Nobel Laureate} and great scientists like Albert Einstein. The intellect is incompetent to penetrate and reach that which is above and beyond its limited ken.

There are miracles and miracles. We must distinguish between the so-called occult phenomena paraded for exciting curiosity, making money and earning fame. On the other hand, there are miracles occasionally wrought by the godly and the good, to enlighten or transform guidelines to sincere aspirants. The latter represent the efflorescence of Divine Grace. St. Paul defined faith as the “substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” St. Augustine averred that belief rests not on what is called scientific demonstration but on faith. Faith transcends reason. His dictum with regard to miracles was “Credo quia impossible”-“I believe because it is impossible.”

True, miraculous phenomena are not an end in themselves. As Yoga Samrat Patanjali himself has emphasised in the Yoga Sutras. Siddhis should not be sought after for their own sake, they are not an end in themselves; they are but adjuncts and not the ultimate of Bhakti Yoga and Jnana Yoga.

Our Punyabhumi has been blessed with an unbroken succession of saints and sages. These men and supermen of Hindustan have sanctified the length and breadth of India. These God-men are not confined to one particular age; there has been a continuous stream of them. Even today lakhs of such God-men live in our holy land. Many of them live in the serene solitude of thick, intractable forests to avoid disruption of their daivik sadhana.

Some live on the banks of sacred rivers like Ganga, Yamuna, Narmada, Godavari, Kaveri, etc., or amongst us, almost unrecognised. A few,

however, give us occasional glimpses of their powers by means of divine manifestations, if only to instil faith and help reform irreverent, sceptic, misguided humanity to enable them move God-ward.

We bow our heads to all those tapaswins, siddha-purushas. As our motto is “What we cannot comprehend, we must not condemn but venerate.”

We, of this generation are doubly fortunate. On the one hand, we are witness to the breath-taking, undreamt of fantastic achieve ments of science, like man being able to walk on the moon and being on the high road to synthesise the human gene and on the other, we have in our midst men of super-science; God-men, who, by the control and direction of their inner powers or siddhis, are able to achieve the incredible, affirming thereby the limitless powers of the human psyche and vouching as it were, for the accounts we read in the Puranas, of deeds of divine grace performed by our revered rishis.

That Sage Vasishtha could with a foot-long Brahma-danda, rout an army of Kshatriya King, Viswamitra, appears to us today to fall within the realms of the possible after witnessing the miracles of some of the Siddha-Purushas now living amidst us.

I venture to share with our dear readers some unique experiences that I and my friend Sri S. Ramakrishnan were privileged to have recently at Madras.

Some time back my friend Shri Ramakrishnan, Editor, Bhavan’s Journal, received a letter from Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Swamighal stating that he had been directed in his dream by Lord Sri Guruvayurappan to show him and his family a vision of Mother Goddess Parasakti and that he should meet him on Friday the 9th October at Madras.

At that time Kulapati Munshiji was in Sri Harkisandas Hospital, undergoing treatment for acute bronchial pneumonia.

Shri Ramakrishnan, therefore, replied to Swamiji explaining the position and asking his pardon for not being able to make the journey just at that time. Swamiji with his characteristic generosity wrote back appreciating his position.

Later he received a telephonic message from Shri P. V. Narasimha Rao, Education Minister, Andhra Pradesh and Vice-Chairman of Bhavan’s Andhra Pradesh Kendra, enquiring if he could go over to Hyderabad for a day or two urgently.

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Kulapatiji was well on the way to recovery and said that he should go.

He went to Hyderabad on October 11 and onwards to Madras on October 13. It was 9 p. m. He went to Swamiji’s camp at Madras at ‘Kairali’, Shri Varma’s residence at Nungambakkam. After prostrating before Swamiji, hardly had he seated himself, when from among the large number of devotees assembled, a young girl became ‘possessed’, i.e a divine spirit had entered her.

Addressing him, the girl said in effect “l am Mother Alarmel Mangai of Tiruchanur. Pandrimalai Swami is my son. When did I call you? Why are you late in coming?”

As directed by Swamiji he prostrated before the ‘possessed’ girl i.e. Mother Goddess, by way of apology and soon she became normal.

After some time, Swamiji graciously asked him to hold a piece of blank paper in one hand and a pen in the other. He prayed to Lord Muruga. After a minute he opened the piece of paper and he found in it an upadesa for him written in English.

Swamiji asked him to extend his stay by a day. On the second day, around 5 p. m. when I went to Swamiji, Shri Ramakrishnan too had come there. At that time he requested Swamiji to be kind enough to materialise an article for publication in the Bhavan’s Journal. Swamiji then asked Shri N. Mahalingam of Coimbatore, who had come with me, to mention the subject. Shri Mahalingam left the choice to Swamiji. Then Swamiji asked him to hold a piece of paper in one hand and a pen on the other. In a minute, he opened the paper, wherein were inscribed the words “ World Experiences” in English.

Swamiji then said: “Ramakrishnan can have an article in English on that subject.”

Swamiji then prayed to Lord Muruga to kindly bestow unto him an article on the subject.

Lo! The article, beautifully typed on bluish paper, with an illustration, soon descended. The contents of the magnificent article were read out and everyone present appreciated its sweep and depth of thought. The same appeared in the Bhavan’s Journal of November 15, 1970.

Soon thereafter, Swamiji materialised, with a wave of his hand the traditional sealed copper-pot containing Gangajal and gave it to

Shri Mahalingam.

Swamiji then playfully gave some flowers into the hands of Shri Mahalingam and asked him to throw them on any one who was present.

Shri Mahalingam did so. At once the person on whom the flowers fell became “possessed” and shouted “O, Muruga! Pandri malai Swami!” and started rolling on the floor.

At the bidding of Swamiji, a lady devotee threw on the ‘victim’ a pinch of sacred ash given by Swamiji. Instantaneously he was restored to normalcy and he prostrated before Swamiji.

A Sadhu, Vibhuti Samiyar by name, was among the audience. He is a great upasaka of Ganapati. He placed a Ganapati Murti (idol) in Swamiji’s hand saying that it was a powerful deity and he was worshipping it for years. Swamiji held the Murti in his palm and closing it, asked the Sadhu, Shri Mahalingam and myself to hold his closed palm tightly. Swamiji then prayed to Mother Parashakti to take away Her son Vinayaka Murti from his hands.

When the Swamiji opened his hands, the Murti had disappeared. Later, at the behest of Swamiji, the same Murti was found in the pocket of Sri Mahalingam!

I have heard that it is rather difficult to materialise holy darbha or kusha grass. Swamiji got it in a trice.

Another incident that took place was this. Swamiji gave Shri Mahalingam a long string of 5 or 6 yards length and asked him to cut it into several small pieces. He did so with the help of a pair of scissors. At the bidding of Swamiji, all the pieces at once joined together and became the original string not a millimetre less or more in length and without trace of any patch.

I stayed back for a couple of days more. On the next day I requested Swamiji to explain the truth about the siddhi of being able to move in the world invisible to others.

Swamiji gave a practical demonstration of it. On his direction, Swamiji was tied firmly with strong ropes to a pillar in the first floor of his host’s house. The room was then closed. When opened after some time, Swamiji was not to be seen at the pillar! He was, however, located in exactly the same tied-up manner near a window downstairs in the

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same house!

Here are some more miracles of Swamiji.

At the request of Shri Varma, Swamiji materialised in an instant with the grace of Lord Muruga, the horoscopes of both his son and daughter in which were also indicated when they would be married.

Swami Shuddhananda Bharati a well-known poet, scholar and freedom fighter is a great devotee of the Swamiji. Shri Bharati wanted to take a photograph of himself along with the Swamiji, but no one among the devotees present had a camera with him.

Bharatiji then supplicated “Swamiji, with your infinite powers, won’t you materialise a camera?” The Swamiji sportingly asked those present for the brand and the country of origin of the best camera. Some one suggested a particular Japanese make, ‘Sanyo’. Swamiji recited a hymn to Lord Muruga and instantaneously a new camera of the said brand with loaded film materialised and several photographs were taken.

At that time Swamiji said, “I am afraid the pictures you have taken are all “doubled”; will you check up?”

It was found identically so, when the prints were taken!

The Swamiji then offered the camera to anyone who would pay its price to Lord Venkateswara of Tirupati. T.L. Viswanathan B.E. offered the price of Rs.1001. The Swamiji directed him to remit the amount to T. T. Devasthanam office at Tirupati. He did so and after producing the receipt took delivery of the camera. To Shri Viswanathan it is a prized possession and he affirms it works perfectly well.

I would recount one particular instance to which the Swamiji bettered the best of medical brains. Smt. Parijatam, Head Mistress of a school was seriously ill. The best medical opinion, including that of Dr. P. Narendra, F. R. C. S. (England) F. R. C. S. (USA), a well-known Neuro-Surgeon of Madras, decided on surgical intervention for the cure of the ailment. The lady and her father, Shri T. Chengalvaraya Pillai are both greatly devoted to the Swamiji. Shri Pillai pleaded with Swamiji to spare the operation and cure his daughter. Swamiji thereupon gave Shri Pillai a lime-fruit and vibhuti asking him to keep the fruit beneath the lady’s bed and apply the vibhuti in the afflicted part of the body.

The father and daughter carried out the Swamiji’s instructions with

unflinching faith.

A couple of days before the date of operation, a panel of doctors examined the lady and to the surprise of the doctors, not even a trace of the earlier complaint could be detected!

In another recent instance, Dr. A. D. Pusalker, who was Assistant Director of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, and Asst. Editor of the Bhavan’s ‘History of Culture of the Indian People’ (Vols. I - V) and now Director, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona, was advised to undergo an intestinal operation for suspected cancer.

Dr. Pusalkar was very reluctant to undergo the operation. He had read about Swamiji in the Bhavan’s Journal. At his telephonic request on October 14, 1970, Shri Ramakrishnan submitted the case to Swamiji. Swamiji gave vibhuti and advised that operation should be undergone but assured safe and quick recovery.

On October 16, immediately on his return to Bombay Shri Ramakrishnan gave the vibhuti to Dr. Pusalkar. He applied it all over the abdomen and said that he had earlier decided to cancel the operation unless the Swamiji advised to the contrary.

Thereupon on October 23, Shri Ramakrishnan again wrote to Swamiji seeking his advice telegraphically. On 25-10-70, he received Swamiji’s telegram reading “LETTER SEEN STOP OPERATION SHOULD BE DONE STOP”.

Dr. Pusalkar was successfully operated upon and is now fast recovering, with a negative report for cancer affliction!

Dr. Pusalkar is now back home and is fast getting restored to normalcy. When friends saw him at his residence a few days ago, he told them that he would not have got the operation done but for the Swamiji’s assurance and insistence.

Last but not the least, let me narrate a unique and almost in describable and thrilling experience vouchsafed to my humble self and my good friend Shri Ramakrishnan on the night of October 14, 1970, at Madras.

It was well past midnight and it took Swamiji a couple of hours more to give vibhuti to the devotees assembled and send them home one by one.

Shri Ramakrishnan and I were asked to stay back. It was around 4 a. m. the sacred, solemn Brahmamuhurta. Swamiji took us inside the Puja

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room, and after ensuring the closing of all the doors of the bungalow, he took us into the ante room and asked us to be seated there and chant continuously “Om Ishwari”. We did so.

Swamiji, who was in deep worship, came to us.

Seating himself beside us, he prayed or rather supplicated Mother Parashakti: “Mother! At the bidding of Shri Guruvayur-appan in my dream to show You to devotee Ramakrishnan, he has come here. Shri Nair, too, is here by chance. Your humble servant, myself, took the liberty of inviting him also to see you. Won’t you, Mother, give them your darshan? They are your children. Please give them darshan in your Shantaswaroopa lest they get frightened. Mother! I beseech you; please first let them hear the exposition of a Bharata Natya Theermanam in sixteen maatras.”

Then our ears had the feast of the clear sound of jingling of anklets in perfect rhythm.

Thereafter Swamiji got up and opened the door of the Puja room. His whole frame became aflutter, his body taut and his hair stood on end, showing a high state of concentration of his powers, while we watched in animated expectancy.

He beckoned us to get up and embraced us.

At the other end of the room, at a distance of about ten feet we saw the resplendent figure of Mother Raja Rajeshwari not flat as in the picture but in three dimensional forms, as in flesh and blood, at once benign and radiant; the diadem or kireeta on the head, emitting a captivating rainbow of flashes. She facially looked exactly like Raja Rajeshwari, commonly seen in the framed pictures in our homes, but she was alone.

“Have the fill of your eyes” affectionately said Swamiji. We perspired profusely while our hearts thumped like that of a racehorse.

After a few minutes, Swamiji asked us to prostrate before Mother and we did so. Gently nodding Her head, the Mother thereupon raised both Her hands horizontally in front as though blessing us, and disappeared.

Swamiji thereafter brought near us the tiara or kireeta worn by Mother Parashakti. It was beautiful and shining resplendently with the immaculate art that had gone into its making, with innumerable gems,

diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, pearls and corals set in it.

This is a most memorable experience, which will ever remain enshrined in our memory.

Some time ago, Swamiji had told us that a couple of years ago while he was staying with a famous businessman (I am with holding the name) his host requested Swamiji to enable him to have darshan of Ishwari.

Swamiji discouraged him, telling that such blessings are not for the asking; for days and days he repeated the request. At last Swamiji agreed to do so, on condition that he alone would have the darshan and he should tell none about it. In his eagerness he agreed.

Around 10 p. m. one night Swamiji and he were returning from the Madras Marina after a stroll. They were near the entrance to the lawns of the Madras University. The businessman again returned to the subject.

The Swamiji then and there asked him to stop and look yonder, inside the lawns. He saw a dazzling damsel, the Mother Parashakti, and he sighed spontaneously, “Oh! Ishwari”.

In a minute, the figure disappeared. The businessman expressed his gratefulness to Swamiji and they both returned home.

The businessman was naturally in great ecstasy.

Disregarding or forgetting Swamiji’s injunction, he mentioned the occurrence to his wife. Hardly had he finished saying both his eyes lost their power and he became totally blind!

It was with great trepidation and hesitancy that I put the pen to paper to write this article.

Swamiji had assured us that, as he did not of our own request, vouchsafe the darshan, the calamity that visited the other gentleman would not descend on us in case we narrated the incident.

However, he warned us that our ‘progressive and learned’ friends would scornfully dismiss this narration as rubbish and even taunt us that we were victims of hallucination. The less progressive and not so highly ‘educated’ would out of pity for us, explain it away as make-believe!

The doubting Thomases, the irreverent and cynics may laugh at what

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has been recounted and dub it as either an illusion or auto-hypnotism or suggestion or even a deception. But throughout India’s 5000 and more years of history, generation after generation, venera ble seers and sages as well as able, blessed individuals and Siddhas, have been vouchsafed with supernatural powers as a result of intense tapas and continuing Sadhana.

Their God like deeds are beyond the limits of our mundane intellectual processes.

I have prayerfully recounted my experiences in a spirit of sacred duty as many others throughout the ages have done in our Janmabhoomi and I have no doubt, will, for millennia, go on doing.

on sainTs and MiracLes*

* This article appeared in the Bharat Jyoti dated 7-3-1971

—By S. Narasimhan

“If you are willing to prosper, you constantly have me in your mind. The mind of the disciple, his deeds and acts are concentrated in me and the place he lives and those who surround him and the bhaktas and you too are sure to be purified.

From time immemorial, he who is before you by his own devotion and by his own efforts and courage had become a rare and invaluable SANJIVI in this world.

He will perform so many good acts and stage so many bewil dering acts in this world as to make people wonder at those. He is going to perform such wonderful feats.

I will be a human. What do you think of me? Without me nothing happens. Bear it in mind.”

MessageThis was the divine message received by me at Palghat on the

October 8, 1953, through our beloved Swamiji. An ordinary white sheet of paper was kept in the Pooja room, when we were sitting in the courtyard outside the drawing room. Swamiji had just got up. It was, I remember vividly, although this happened over seventeen years ago, late afternoon and prayed to the Lord to give me a message written in English. This came flying through closed doors and I am now sharing this with you all, as I did in the meeting of the Delhi Kendra of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan on December 19, 1970. The meeting was very well attended by devotees from north and south and presided over by Shri Jaisukhlal Hathi, former Minister of the Central Government. Before the meeting started the President was blessed with fragrant AKSHATHA (Mantrak-shatha, turmeric coloured rice) directly from Balaji in Tirupati. Just before the close of the meeting a devotee got a mouthful of sugar when he had touched Swamiji’s feet—at the point

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of departure of the car. Swamiji just took mud from the road and put it inside the devotee’s mouth and he got instead sugar.

During the five weeks, Swamiji was with us, He had extended His divine grace by bestowing on each and every one of the devotees who saw Him, by some divine act or other.

Even during the visit of Swamiji in 1961 and 1963, I have not had the good fortune to witness so many godly acts compressed with-in a few minutes. For example, within ten minutes a gentleman got almost all the prasadams, Tirupati Akshtha, Chandanam and fragrant camphor from Tiruchendur, Kumkum from Madurai (a different type of kumkum), sugar candy, apple and in addition divine upadesa. He and others surrounding him were all told just by looking at their faces what was their future life like, what were their worries and what was the solution. Medicines were prescribed even before the devotee had time to explain his malady. It was just not possible to even write in small sheets of paper the prescriptions and give them to the devotees, as by the time we were at this, they had changed to divine discourses-the purpose of human life, the role of the Guru and the disciple, the oneness of the religions-whether Christian, Buddhist, Sikh and Hindu (different sects were explained). Swamiji had a message for one and all. He knew the finest points of each religion and discussed them with the persons before Him. What a lucid approach to different problems!

I may add that during the last seventeen years of close associa tions with Swamiji I have had no courage to write about Swamiji. I have not studied the Scriptures as they should be done. I have done my official duty as best as I can. I commune with God only through Swamiji and this itself gives me mental peace and happiness. He knows about me. He always says:

“Whatever will be will be.” I fully believe in this. I have had my share of setbacks, disappointments, personal tragedies.

Swamiji says and repeats every time that “God is sugar candy to those who have eyes to see Him and God is a stone to them who refuse to realise Him.”

Is God necessary in our lives? This a question asked by many teenage boys and girls these days. Can they not realise that life itself is a miracle! Do they dispute this? No answer. They think that everything is scientifically explained. Can they produce the three elements that

keep this species alive - Appu, Theyu and Vayu (Water, Fire and Air)? If one of these elements is either removed from the human body or the proportion is changed in the system whether within the human body or the outside world we live in, life just ebbs away and chaos and confusion would result.

UniqueA student of M. A. (English) had just won a prize in an inter-university

debate. He took the side of non-believers. He came to Swamiji with pride. He was asked how he got his prize. He said that with his own ability and power of speech. Swamiji asked him who gave him the power of speech. Except to say that his mother must have taught him how to speak when he was a toddler, he could not answer who gave the human being the power of speech, the power to see, the power to hear, the power to touch, the power to smell etc., something unique. This discourse went on and the boy was getting dumbfounded. But to make him a full believer Swamiji asked him to bring in a sheet of paper, drew the picture of a Scorpion on it and asked him whether the paper Scorpion would sting. The boy said “certainly not”. He was asked to place his forearm on the picture and lo! The boy was screaming with pain. The poison was spreading all over the body. As Swamiji was and is always kind, the poison disappeared at his command. Swamiji-always says that divine commands are always through ‘word’ - a divine word or two. Swamiji added that all Siddhas use the divine word after prayers.

We know that although we lived in Brussels for a number of years, whenever he wished it, he would be there. We would feel the divine fragrance travelling with us, whenever he was talking about us or he was writing a letter to us. In fact even today, the members of our family can say that Swamiji’s letter was being brought by the postman on a particular day -at least two or three hours before the scheduled time of arrival of the postman.

I am convinced that it is not necessary for one to take all his personal difficulties to him unless they are of such a nature as to require elaborate explanation. His graceful look, his vibhuti Prasadam and his message of Panchakshara and other subjects published in the Bhavan’s Journal, (Now published in book form by A. V. Ramachandran, ‘Revatee’, Ist Road, Chembur, Bombay-71.) and available at Chetana Book Centre,

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34, Rampart Row, Bombay - 1 and elsewhere, are themselves adequate. But what is required is Faith.

Faith in what? Let us go back to the student who had the divine sting of the paper Scorpion. A few minutes later the boy was seen discussing again the existence of otherwise of God. Swamiji was getting visibly annoyed at this blasphemy. He called the boy and told him that within a few hours he would have to face an accident and his lips would be torn apart. He added this was not his curse but he was just predicting what would happen before nightfall that day. This was forgotten and the boy left the scene.

MissingHe was to come back to the house after purchasing a few items in the

evening there was heavy rain and the boy had not reached the house till 9:30 p.m. All the people got worried. I went and prostrated before Swamiji and asked him about the missing boy. He closed his eyes and suddenly said that I must arrange for a doctor who could dress up a deep cut and stitch it. I could not follow this. In a moment all was clear. The boy was carried into the drawing room unconscious, full of blood all over the body. The lower lip was just falling down and the tongue protruding. The doctor came in and administered first aid etc. Swamiji stood by the boy for hours and I am sure the boy got Swamiji’s grace from that moment in abundant measure. Next day, just after 24 hours, the wound had completely healed. We read in the newspapers the story of an accident in a phut-phuti in Delhi this is a common-man’s transport open carriage fitted to a powerful motor cycle in which, out of the four passengers, three had been killed on the spot and the fourth was taken away by a cyclist in an unconscious state. This was the motorcycle rickshaw on which our erstwhile nonbeliever had travelled.

During the last ten days of Swamiji’s recent visit to Delhi, I could not keep even a sketchy diary of the happenings as by this time, the crowd had been swelling every day and it was with some difficulty I could enter my own house. I may add I attended to office work on most of the days during Swamiji’s visit. Swamiji had given me enormous strength and will power to spin round the clock all the thirty five days. All my friends are still wondering as to how we managed with hardly two hours sleep those days. The house had become a temple, where no

restrictions applied for the true devotees. This was despite the fact that except in one national newspaper, Swamiji’s arrival was not taken note of, due to election preoccupations.

Here, I must narrate the averted car accident on our journey back from Shimla. In the car where Swamiji was travelling, besides the driver, Sri Ramakrishnan, my wife and I were travelling. Swamiji was required to rest in the back seat, when the car was being driven. He agreed and was soon sleeping. It was after 3:30 a.m., I was sitting by the side of the driver half awake, half asleep. Suddenly I heard Swamiji’s voice in my ear. “Son-in-law, take to the steering wheel and correct the course of the car.” I woke up with a sudden shock and saw that the car had just swerved and was about to crash headlong into a tree. The driver had, it seems, got a momentary blackout. I did as I was ordered and within a split second avoided the tree on the side, avoided a truck standing in between, drove through the space in between the lorry and a bullock cart coming in the opposite direction (without any lights on it), and found that the car had come back to the middle of the road avoiding all obstacles.

Swamiji who was sleeping soundly had been thrown out of the bed in the resulting confusion and woke up suddenly and asked what had happened. I was amazed as I had thought that Swamiji was fully awake when I had the divine order to take to the steering wheel and adjust it by forcing the driver’s course into the right. I told him so and he laughed and again went to sleep.

The driver of the car became Swamiji’s great devotee and he has been visiting the Poojas almost daily. His and my shock and deliverance have still not left us.

There are countless other miracles which we are unable to narrate in this book for want of space.

Conclusion:Aasaan Sadguru Pandrimalai Samikal’s miracles which are

demonstrations of the infinite and unlimited powers of Almighty God are inexhaustible. The one important fact to be noted in this connection is that it is not these miracles alone that infuse faith in the spiritual greatness and stature of Samikal. He is indeed a repository

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of ideal values to be imbibed in leading a righte ous life, which every devotee who has come into contact with him, would try to understand and emulate for his own spiritual progress. The astounding miracles do form an important part of Samikal’s life; they reveal Him as a God-man; they have a significant impact on the lives of His disciples and devotees associated with Him and also the society around Him. But Samikal actually transcends such miracles in the sense that His miracles are not intended to bamboozle or create awe or fear in the minds of anyone. He does not abide in the miracles but the miracles abide in Him. Samikal’s very life that exudes spiritual fragrance and his teachings which are subtle but at the same time simple and straight are the more important facts to be studied and followed by all to lead a life of fullness, joy, peace, goodwill and love - love towards God and love towards all.

In this chapter, the various divine miracles recounted prove beyond doubt that His Holiness Samikal’s mission or Divine Adhikara, is to relieve the sufferings of individuals, kindle the spark of Divinity dormant in man and also be the ‘UNSEEN GUIDE’ to all aspirants to Godhood.

Now let us proceed on to the philosophy of the Master Mystic.

chaPTer 4PhiLosoPhy

Footsteps On The Sands Of Time: God has created the most excellent lives of saints to explain the path

of duty to be adopted, as being universally beneficial.

Aasaan Sadguru Pandrimalai Samikal is a perfect instrument of God, permeated and illumined by Him and His Eternal Grace. He is therefore a standing example of perfect humility even though endowed with every kind of knowledge.

Another remarkable trait of our Aasaan is His catholicity of outlook and universal approach. His unbounded kindness and love not only towards all human beings but, also, to other living creatures including plants are only to be seen to be believed. As these unique characteristics of a God-realised soul stand fully revealed in our Master Mystic, devotees of all castes, creed and colour flock to Him for solace and guidance. He treads the footsteps on the sands of Time left by Sages, Saints and Siddhars of yore.

Our Master Mystic does not preach or discuss philosophy as such. His life is his philosophy and His actions speak of His religion. He Himself is an exemplar of all that He says to others. He does not get Himself lost in any discursive logic or try to establish any new philosophy or religion. He is not dogmatic in His speech or approach.

Aasaan Sadguru avers that all traditional and well-established religious paths are true even today. Life is a process of continuous change. The times change, environments change, languages, customs and habits of people also change. In this world spectrum of continuous change, the basic and intrinsic values of truth and goodness, ethics and morality are ever-lasting and immutable, the following up of which will give mankind not only solace but ever lasting bliss.

Our Master Mystic says that all religions embody the Light of the Supreme in them, as they have arisen essentially out of ‘Illumination’ or ‘Revelation’ of the Seers. They are all different paths leading to the Ultimate Reality, which is One only. But, the God-men who

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were the recipients of such Divine Revelations, had necessarily to convey the Revealed Truths, in the languages prevalent at those times, circumscribed by the customs, habits and other environmental factors.

Aasaan Sadguru, therefore, says that it is given only to God-realised Souls to re-interpret or re-establish the basic values to lead the righteous life indicated in all religions, so as to be in conformity or fit in with the actual living conditions at any particular time or place. This is possible for these Divine souls because the Real Unity of God-head in the manifested diversity of the Universe is not only perceived by them directly but, this Unity forms the back bone of their very life and existence. This Unity in outlook, embracing persons of all creed or colour and fitting in with the environments and conditions of life today, is seen to permeate every act or teaching of our Master Mystic. Modern, yet old, His life and teachings are fully in accordance with the basic spiritual, ethical and moral values of life, enunciated in all Holy Scriptures.

Having been brought up in the traditional Hindu way of life, the external characteristics of our Master are naturally in conformity with its customs and habits. This should not be mistaken with His mind and outlook, which soar above all limitations, due to the Pure Divine knowledge that illumines them.

The main test of a Sadguru, in the realm of spirituality, is that He has seen God and can show Him to the disciple, who has a firm and unfaltering faith in the Sadguru. Aasaan Sri Pandrimalai Samikal vouchsafes this as full truth, from His own experience. But still He says, out of utter humility that He is only dust in the Holy Feet of the Lord Almighty and because of His devotion and service to the Lord, the Lord showers His benign and bountiful Grace on Him. Our Master says that whenever He thinks of Lord Sri Muruga (His Ishta Devata) the Lord stands before Him, which in Vedantic terminology indicates ‘Sakshatkara’ or direct felt experience. Such a God-realised person always stands out by His personal example and not by mere precept alone.

It is borne out by all disciples having faith and devotion to our Master Mystic that He is an ‘Adhikara Purusha’ or Divine Person endowed with the stamp or authority of God and with God-given Arul Siddhis (Supernatural powers). Such Divine dispensation and endowments are towards His Holy Mission of alleviating the suffer ings

of humanity and to guide aspirants not only on their onward march for spiritual upliftment but also for securing material wellbeing, in the righteous way.

Scriptures declare and it is the fact of life, also, that every man is born with certain predominant inclinations or tendencies that are otherwise called ‘vasanas’. By the contact of one’s sensory organs with the outside world, these inborn traits or propensities create desires and urges, impelling him to act in particular ways to fulfil his desires. The Realised Sadguru is able to spot out even at the very sight, the innate mental state and the spiritual maturity of any devotee or bhakta and He is therefore in a position to correctly and properly advice and guide the aspirant. His guidance and teachings, therefore, vary from person to person and according to the time, place and circumstance. Aasaan Samikal is a ‘Trikala Gnani’, knowing the past, present and future, though what he actually reveals is in conformity with the Divine Sankalpa or Will of the Almighty.

Aasaan Sadguru’s philosophy and religion are not separate entities but are inextricably woven with Godhead like the warp and woof of a cloth. He correlates the actual with the ideal, the pragmatic with spiritual, the physical with psychic aspects of life. His philosophy reveals harmony between science and religion, bet ween life and divinity. It has an ontological basis common to all religions; it accepts the Hindu Pantheon, but sublimates devotion to realization, of Oneness in the individual, cosmos and the Absolute Spirit that pervades all.

Samikal’s Illumination throws light on all matters - mundane and spiritual. The veracity of His statements and the meticulousness of His utterances are amazing. His knowledge on men and matters is vast and profound. He speaks very little and to the point only and, what He says is pertinent to what is necessary, consistent with time, place and circumstance. It is, therefore, at best, possible for any one to record glimpses of His thoughts and words of wisdom gleaned from time to time through His illuminating dialogues on various subjects with various devotees and disciples. Some subjects have been chosen to bring out the import of his philosophy and teachings to the limited extent possible. The validity of the statements made, or the truths expressed hereunder may, in some cases, be relative in their connotations or significance, as they apply to different persons in different situations, but one can easily discern basic and funda mental values of life

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underlying the various matters dealt with.

GuruThere is nothing in the world to compare to the Guru (Self-Realised

preceptor). The nearest similitude to the Guru may be said to be the ‘touchstone’ (alchemy) that converts into gold, iron coming in contact with it. He is even more than the touchstone, because he not only is capable of making his disciple his equal but can also impart him the capacity to become a Guru himself, to illumine his disciples with the knowledge he has obtained. Light can be lit only by a light.

The main test of a Guru in the realm of spirituality is a simple one. He has seen God and can show Him to the disciple who has a firm and unfaltering faith in the Guru. Such real Teachers are of course rare, but they are not extinct. If an aspirant sincerely and devotedly yearns for a Guru, He does come. Such a Guru has the indications that can make him recognisable for the disciple.

The Hindu Scriptures declare repeatedly that the greatest truths of the Spirit are revealed and shine forth only through the Grace of the Guru and naught/ nothing else.

For the attainment of the four purushartas (the aim and goal of human existence) viz Dharma (Righteousness), Artha (wealth and prosperity), Kama (Desires of the right kind for happiness and fulfilment) and lastly Moksha (Emancipation or Freedom from births and deaths), the great guides of humanity (GURUS) are required.

The Guru ceaselessly endeavours to rescue all that seek him from ways of ignorance and evil and, reclaim them to think and act in accordance with the righteous conduct sanctioned by the Scriptures and exemplified in the lives of holy saints. He protects his disciples from all evils and impediments that stand in the way of Sadhana. The one who protects and gives such enlightenment is not an ordinary mortal. He is God in flesh and blood.

Bhagawan Ramana Maharishi says, quoting from “Viveka Choodamani” of Adhi Sankara, that four classes of people derive benefit from a Guru (Self-Realised Soul). Firstly, the disciple attains Mukti, secondly the devotee attains merit in life, thirdly, the indifferent acquires desire for righteousness and, fourthly, the hostile get rid of

Aasaan Sadguru Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Samikal

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their sins by the mere darshan of the Perfected Soul.

Prahlada, a shining and most illustrious example of bhakti and devotion to God, answers Amarka and Chanda, the sons of Sukracharya (the Preceptor of Asuras) thus:

“Note that only an Atma Jnanin can be a Guru His words are totally to be obeyed without demur. Those who follow the scholars wallowing in Avidya repeating Sastras (Scriptures) parrot-like are like those blind who are led by the blind.”

Aasaan Sadguru Pandrimalai Samikal puts the unparalleled greatness of a Self-Realised Guru in a nut-shell, stating that the Guru can simplify the Sadhana of a sincere and devoted disciple, by just asking him to drink the nectarine fruit juice prepared and kept ready, instead of the disciple taking all the time, effort and pains of growing a fruit tree, tending the same and securing the fruit, which may not happen even within his life-span. The only thing that the disciple has to do is to surrender himself totally and unreservedly to the Guru and earn his Grace and Love. To such a true disciple, the Guru is capable of handing over the fruit of the tapas and austerities the Guru himself has undergone and, even that, in a way that is easily assimilable by the disciple.

Such is the greatness of the Guru, which can, even now, be seen in the lives of God-men and walking Divinities on earth, who demonstrate the power of God in ways transcending science and intellect.

Learning at the feet of the Guru:The primary purpose of learning is the formation of good character

and conduct. Good qualities are the means (Sadhanas) to attain the knowledge of the Ultimate Truth, which is the goal.

All learning for spiritual enlightenment should be from a Guru. The Sabda ‘Gu’ indicates deep darkness of Avidya or Ignorance and the Sabda ‘Ru’ signifies the brilliant light of Jnana or wisdom, which dispels the gloom of Avidya and makes one realise Godhead. Therefore, ‘Guru’ means a God-Realised Soul, who dispels the darkness, or ignorance of the disciple.

The pupil who sets his aim on spiritual progress should build up

positive values in life that become integrating forces for his Sadhana. He should obey and revere his parents and elders. He should cultivate vinaya (humility) so as to get rid of Ahambava (egoism). He should cultivate the capacity and attitude to understand and follow the Guru’s instructions, and secure the full confidence of the Guru.

A disciple, intent on achieving the purpose and goal of life, should not only be ardent and sincere but, should also be capable of surrendering everything - body, possessions and soul, at the lotus feet of the Guru. His mind and thoughts should identify with the Guru; he should anticipate the Guru’s requirements, please Him in all ways and justify the Guru’s faith in him. He should imbibe the positive forces emanating from the Guru, as His Grace. He should practice his Sadhana, as instructed by the Guru, with full faith, devotion, sincerity, avidity and eagerness to attain his goal.

The Arishadvargas (the six enemies) namely Kama (Desire), Krodha (Anger), Lobha (Greed), Moha (Attachment), Madha (Arrogance) and Matsarya (Envy) can be conquered only by Guru-Bhakti.

Just as the Guru has gained ‘Chitta vrittinirodah’ - ie control of mind’s activity, free from desires and distractions, like a light with out flicker- the disciple who holds on to the lotus feet of that Guru, whose mind is steady, unmoving and perfectly detached, will also be able to gain similar control and fixity of mind. Sastras declare that the lotus feet of the Guru and the Grace of God are one and the same. Also, the knowledge imparted by the Guru to a sincere devotee will be both for the righteous livelihood of the pupil and also for his spiritual Sadhana.

His Holiness Samikal says that the prey that is caught in the mouth of a tiger cannot escape. So too, is the case of a disciple in respect of the Guru. When the Guru mindfully bestows mercy, the doors of Yogic states are automatically flung open.

Aasaan Sadguru avers that the ‘Grace’ of the Almighty Lord is the Divine Umbrella the Realised Souls possess, to protect and shield the devotees who seek, with faith, such protection from any type of adversity. This Divine Umbrella of Grace affords the necessary protection commensurate with the strength of the devotees, just as the ‘Govardana’ hill was employed by Lord Shri Krishna as an umbrella, to protect His kith and kin and devotees from the torrential rains of calamity, which threatened them.

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There is an old saying that is repeated by Samikal; that it is easier to find a thousand Gurus than a true disciple.

For an ideal disciple ‘Guru’s Nama’” or name itself is the most potent mantra and japa. Guru’s “Vak” or instruction is the source of his sadhana and action. Guru’s ‘Rupa’ or form with all its divine gunas associated with it will constitute his meditation and contemplation. Such a disciple becomes perfect and realises God by the Grace of the Guru. This is why scriptures declare:

“Guru is none other than Brahma;

Guru is none other than Vishnu;

Guru is none other than Maheswara;

Guru is verily Parabrahmam; Prostrations to such Guru.”

The Way To God:God is sweet sugar candy to those who have faith in Him but a lump

of hard stone to those who do not have the faith; thus avers Aasaan Sadguru Pandrimalai Samikal.

Amongst God’s creation, only an infinitesimal portion of human beings pine to see Him face to face. The rest are in meaningless pursuit of sensuous, transient pleasures.

Human birth is a precious, priceless blessing of the Lord. It therefore, ill becomes human genius to waste this glorious opportunity on earth. The duty before mankind is clear - to realize the purpose of life by devotion to God. This is the quintessence of the teachings of the Minstrels, Acharyas and Sages whom God sends on earth from time to time.

Love and attachment limited to one’s kith and kin and the identification with one’s body, are the offsprings of ignorance. Ignorance is the root cause of fear, strife and misery. It is only the knowledge of the Divine that will stave off this dangerous and self-devouring ignorance and elevate man from the animal to the spiritual status.

Immortality is the birth right of all. Divine consciousness is the precious heritage of mankind. Every soul is potentially Divine. Indeed, God dwells in the heart of each one of us. Unfortunately, blinded by fleeting passions, the minds of most men do not rest on Him.

The greater the measure of man’s in-dwelling in God, greater will be the Grace of God which will ultimately release man from the shackles of birth.

Sadguru Samikal who speaks out of his intuitive ‘felt’ experience declares that the Tamil expression “Kadavul”, which denotes God, is an amalgam of “Kada” + “U1’’ which means turning of one’s intellect inward to intuit the Inner Truth and Reality, Similarly, the word “Tirupathi” can be split as “ Tiru” + “ Pathi’’ or in other words turn back and realise the Lord within.

To earn God’s Grace, devotion to work and duty is necessary, resulting in “Chitta - suddhi” (Purity of mind.). When the mind becomes pure, one gets viveka (discrimination) and vairagya (dispassion); its other off-shoots being Sat-sang (sacred company of the righteous and good persons), Sadhu-seva (service of the Saintly person), Nama-Sankirtan (singing of Lord’s Glory) and Satya or Sanmarga (the path of Truth) all of which result in the upsurge of Bhakti or boundless devotion to God and attainment of Siddhis or Divine powers. This will in turn lead to Mukti or Liberation. Man in his Liberated State realises Atman that is none else than the Almighty Lord. Verily such a perfected person sheds all human limitations and transcends good and evil, the pairs of opposites.

Love will radiate from him in all its effulgence, inside and outside. He becomes a perfect instrument of God and sees Him in all and all in Him.

The attainment of the state of perfection and realisation and attunement to the Lord Almighty is possible for an aspirant by seeking and learning from a Self-Realised Guru and by means of ceaseless effort on the part of the aspirant - thus says Bhagawan Samikal.

Worship and the Hindu Pantheon:The Ultimate Truth or God is just One but the Sages and Seers call

It by different names associated with various attributes.

The same soil or earth gives rise to different varieties of flora, sustains them and ultimately dissolves them to itself. It can, therefore, be described that the essence of the flora is the soil. So too, in the Hindu Pantheon of deities, there is Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, depicting the different functions of One Lord Almighty, namely creation, sustenance

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and dissolution. These manifestations and several others, according to different attributes, are, therefore, from One source only. The gunas or attributes are given only by the bhaktas to the nameless and formless Absolute.

Lord Shri Krishna declares in the ‘Holy Gita’ that the form in which each devotee seeks to worship with faith and devotion, it is in that form that the Lord makes his faith steadfast. For each votary of a particular deity, according to his taste and the customs and traditions he follows, that deity is superior to him in the same manner a person standing underneath one arch of a bridge sees all other arches of the same bridge to be smaller, even though the truth is, all are equal.

The Siddhars of Tamil Nadu have proclaimed that the human body is itself the temple of God who is the ‘Pathi’ (Master or In-dweller) and have enumerated the disciplines for introverting the mind to seek and find the very Source, which is the fountainhead of God. These Siddhars have declared from their own immediate ‘felt’ experience that what is in the microcosm (body) is in the macrocosm (Cosmos) also.

However, the control of the senses and turning the mind away from the external phenomenal world of difference is not possible for any beginner set on the spiritual path and, therefore, love and worship of an external symbol possessing all the sublime qualities worth striving for in life, become necessary for the aspirant.

Worship has an object for meditation. The more there is concentration and single-pointed devotion, the more is identity established between the worshipper and the worshipped. In its Absolute or Nirguna (formless or quality less) state, there is no worship possible as this is an unconditioned state where there is only One and not two.

Worship is, therefore, possible only in Saguna (formful or qualityful) state. The consecrated images (Archa roopa or icons) of the Lord in various temples have been shaped according to the Divine visions of the Seers and Mystics and different forms of worship of these deities have been prescribed by these Seers and Mystics.

Various symbols like the ‘Linga’,‘Shaligram’,‘Akasa’,‘Surya’ etc., representing various attributes and modes of God have also been prescribed by Godmen and Mystics, with meditations thereon.

Even though several deities or symbols are worshipped or mediated

upon to suit the temperaments, traditions and tastes of individuals, such worship through control of mind is stated as capable of attaining in course of time by stages, Self-Realisation or God-Realisation, which are one and the same.

The finite and limited mind cannot conceive and realise the Unlimited, Infinite Entity. Therefore, the mind has not only to be controlled but has to transcend to attain the state of God-realisation. The worship of the Ishta Devata (or the chosen deity), according to the taste of the worshipper, is an ideal preparation for disciplining the mind with its inherent tendencies or vasanas.

Scriptures declare that the progress of an aspirant on the spiritual path can be accelerated and made easy by devoted and dedicated service to a Guru, who knows the Truth.

Great Saints and Sages have declared that any spiritual discipline chosen by the Guru according to the aptitude and suitability of the disciple and practiced with faith and sincerity will form a continuous link from lower to higher form of consciousness, to attain final beatitude or Sat Chit Ananda.

The Hindu Pantheon and the worship relating to these, therefore, serves its purpose for the spiritual evolution of various grades of persons in successive stages of development, through the proper guidance and grace of the Guru, who acts as a catalyst and verily God Himself in human form.

Aasaan Sadguru Pandrimalai Samikal vouchsafes from His own personal experience that the various manifestations of God are true and these deities can be invoked by means of the proper rituals prescribed. He also avers that all the different deities worshipped lead the aspirant on to the realisation of the Ultimate Reality of One God Absolute.

The Holy Panchakshara:The five-lettered Panchakshara mantra is “Na-Ma-Si-Va-Ya”. The

Aumkara Pranava is the Moola mantra from which the Panchakshari mantra emanated. This mantra is therefore preceded by Aum. The Pranava Panchakshari mantra is “Aum Namasivaya”. The five sacred letters together with the Aumkara (Sabda Brahman) represent the primordial God ‘Sadaasiva’.

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The five letters are also identified with the limbs of the human body in its microcosmic aspect.

Behold the pictorial illustration of this ‘Tatwa-Daivam’, the basic truth realised by our Master Mystic, Aasaan Sadguru Pandrimalai Samikal, as His personal experience. (Picture below)

Sri Tatwa Daivam “Aum Namasivayam”

“Na” represents the two legs “Ma” represents the stomach

“Si’ represents the two shoulders “Va” represents the mouth

“Ya” represents the two eyes

‘et;tpuz;L fhyjha; etpd;w kt;tapwjha;rpt;tpuz!L Njhsjha; rpwe;j tt;thajha;at;tpuz;L> fz;zjha;

vOe;J epd;w Neh;ikapy;nrt;itnahj;J epd;wNj

rptha kQ;nrOj;JNk.”

The combination of the above five letters associated with Aumkara Pranava represents the Cosmic Entity as per the Scriptural dictum – “That which is in the body (microcosm) is also in the Cosmos (macrocosm)”.

The correspondence of the five sacred letters with reference to the fundamental elements that constitute this Universe, their deities, attributes, symbolic representations, along with others, are furnished in the following page.

The Aumkara Pranava constitutes the Moola Adara or base for the above with Ganapathi as the presiding deity.

The God whom we worship is in the last resort the ‘Atman’ or the ‘In-dwelling Reality’ in us. Mystics say: “If you desire to know God, know Thyself.” This is the essence of the most powerful and potent Pranava Panchakshari mantra.

To obtain the Self-knowledge or Realisation, one should approach a Realised Guru, with devotion and humility, be initiated by the Guru, utter the Pranava Panchakshari mantra as instructed and mediate on it, adopting the method of Siva-Raja Yoga, as taught by the Guru.

The ancient Tamil Siddhars made use of the sacred five letters (Panchakshara) by lengthening or shortening the metres (matras), transposing them, subtracting or adding thereto and pronouncing them with varying degrees of emphasis to achieve the desired effect.

The best archana to Siva is to utter Pranava Panchakshari in four different ways Viz:1. Aum Namasivaya2. Aum Sivayanama3. Aum Sivayasiva4. Aum SivaSiva

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THE HOLY PRANAVA PANCHAKSHARI: “AUM NAMASIVAYA”

Letter

1

Na-e

Ma-k

Si-rp

Va-t

Ya-a

Element &its essence

2

Earth-Smell

Water-Taste

Fire-Sight

Wind-Touch

Ether-Healing

God & Shakti

3

Brahma-Saraswathi

Vishnu-Lakshmi

Rudra-Rudrani

Maheswara-Iswari

Sadasiva-Manonmani

Function

4

Creation

Preservation

Annihilation

Concealment

Grace

Colour

5

Yellow

White

Red

Green

Black

Bija Mantra

7

Lam - yk;

Vam - tk;

Ram - uk;

Yam - ak;

Am - mk;

Adara(Yogic Centre)

8

Swadishtana

Manipura

Anahata

Visuddhi

Ajna

Symbol

6

The above uttering (Japa) in four different ways, in the order of subtlety, removes the dross of desire and attachment to the physical body and the Jiva becomes Siva. This is the way to realise the Supreme Gracious Effulgence (Arulperum Jyothi) that permeates everything and everywhere, constituting an unbroken plenum of spirit. This is, also, the experience of all ancient Siddhars as well as the Great Siddhar of today, Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Samikal.

It is also stated that the Holy Panchakshara is the centre and crown of all the Vedas. Of the three Vedas, Rik, Yajur and Sama, Yajur Veda occupies the middle or central place. The fourth Kanda of the Yajur Veda of seven Kandas, is the central one. In the centre of the fourth Kanda is the Panchakshara mantra. Just like the principal deity being installed in the centre of the temple, the Panchakshara mantra is the centre of the three Vedas, which shows its special significance and importance.

The Great Siddhar Tirumular says thus:

“There is a wonderful fruit for the world; the name of this good fruit is Na-Ma-Si-Va-Ya; when chewed it is soft; but when eaten it is nothing but sweetness (bliss)”

That this is the ultimate truth left behind by the great Self-Realised Siddhars and Mystics is borne out by the following declaration:

‘jj;Jtj; nja;tkk;kh mJ rjhrptkhdjk;kh kw;WKs;s nja;tnky;yhk; khia tbthNk”

“Realise Sadasiva, the Tatwa Daivam (the Ultimate Truth); All other deities are of the form of Maya only.”Love is God:

“Love is God That is the Truth” - So says Aasaan Sadguru Pandrimalai Samikal, in consonance and in tune with what all the Mystics and Seers have said before.

We love several things in this world. But this love is not unmixed with sorrow, as in this transient world, the objects of love perish or get lost. This produces grief. Therefore, we ought to cultivate love towards That which is indestructible or does not suffer diminution or loss.

God only is indestructible and eternal. If we love God which is the fountain-head and source of everything in this Universe, we should invariably love all that arises out of God, as intensely as we love God. It is as a result of such Realised Truth, that all Mystics and Seers perceive everything of God’s creation as Iswara Swaroopam only. They identify themselves with the entire God’s creation and are therefore, full of love and compassion for all. Since such great Siddhars and God-Realised souls are the very personifica tion of love, by surrendering to them and loving and serving them as visible divinities on earth, we bestow our love only towards God, the immanent and transcendental Reality, whom we neither know nor are able to see.

These walking divinities on earth, who seek nothing but love, have the power and capacity to divinise everyone who truly serves them, surrenders to them and loves them.

Traits of a Siddha or God-Realised Soul:

The Siddha is like a child. The child plays, cries, laughs, and displays various feelings from time to time depending upon its various moods. But, these emotions are only for the time being and disappear in the same manner they had come. They do not leave any impression on the mind of the child.

The Siddha also behaves, in this world, just as the child did; the feelings he expresses, in relation to people and environments, are only superficial. They do not affect the composure or serenity of his mind, which is equable, stable and always fixed upon the Absolute Truth, that is, God. But, seemingly, he plays his part in the world just like anyone else. Because of his God-centric mind and perfect attunement

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From left to right: Dr. T. V. RanganathanMrs. Rajeswari Ranganathan, H.H. Samikal

H. E. The King of Bhutan and Major General T. V. Jegannathan

H. H. Samikal receives the presents from The Home Minister of Bhutan.

H. H. Samikal with Bhutanese dress taking his morning ride.

H. H. Samikal’s Birthday celebration.

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with Him, he will be of immense service and use to true and devoted seekers and the world at large, in helping to understand and follow the path of truth and wisdom.

One great difference between a child and the Self or God-Realised person is that the child is yet to become aware of its ego whereas the Self-Realised person has lost his ego in the Self or God within Him.

Simplicity, naturalness and non-ego are the common traits between the child and the God-man. But, while the former is ignorant, the latter has the fullness of the knowledge-par-excellence of the Lord.

All these aforementioned traits of the child, encompassed, however, by the spiritual fullness of the Self-Realised Gnani, stand fully revealed to all his discerning devotees and bhaktas, in His Holiness Pandrimalai Samikal.

Performance of Karma or Duty:Karma or work, in the broad sense, means performance of duties

consistent with one’s own status in life and society; full of active achievement in the righteous way. To do karma or duty in the proper and correct way, one has to, first, choose his work appropriately, according to his capacity and, second, do the work with skill and proficiency. This type of work, well executed and accomplished, with [right discrimination] judicious prudence, is itself Yoga. In this lies the harmony of work and wisdom, of achievement and sacrifice or renunciation.

For performance of such Karma, one should learn from a competent Teacher or Guru, who can show the right way. The disciple has to trust, obey and abide in the spoken word of the Guru, to secure purity of mind and wisdom. Mis-action will only result producing bondage and misery.

Aasaan Pandrimalai Samikal, who lays special stress on the proper performance of duties of whatever kind that befalls a person, exemplifies the meticulousness and care being bestowed to the minutest detail on any act or work carried out by him, even though the magnitude of the work performed by him everyday is quite staggering from the point of view of ordinary standards. For the Aasaan, work is raised to the level of worship and both are the same.

Bhakti or Devotion:Bhakti is a condition of the mind which is continuously drawn and

anchored to the Lotus Feet of God, who is the very source from which the mind has emanated. The nearest similitudes to explain Bhakti are as indicated below.

The waters of rivers that originate from the ocean ultimately flow back into it, losing themselves, in the process. A creeper meandering on the ground is drawn towards the tree to entwine itself and become part of the tree.

The consummation of Bhakti is to draw one’s self to His Own Self, which is the “In-dwelling Reality” within him. The “Swarupa” or true nature is the inherent God Himself and therefore one has to surrender himself to the God within him. This is the union spoken of by Saints and Mystics as the Supreme Immortal Bliss. The individuality or separateness exists in the beginning, just as the rivers, in their initial stage, have their turbulence and noise while they descend from the tills. But slowly as they gain level ground, the waters become smooth flowing. When they reach their sanctuary - the ocean- they become one with it. So, too, is the state of a bhakta who gradually loses his separateness as he becomes more mellowed with bhakti and ultimately identifies himself with God, becoming One with Him.

Sadguru Pandrimalai Samikal avers that Bhakti or love towards God-Realised Souls will secure the same result as could be obtained by love towards God. He also affirms that this type of devotion and surrender is the easy path for the attainment of the ultimate goal. While the Lord of the Universe is beyond perception or conception, it is certainly possible for ardent seekers to find the Sadguru or God-Realised Soul, to whom they can attach themselves, serve Him and secure His Grace. All the attributes and greatness of the Omnipotent Lord can be seen and felt in the Sadguru by a discerning and discriminating devotee. The arduous and difficult path of devotion to the imperceptible Lord, who transcends the senses and the mind, can be more easily achieved by surrendering to the Holy Feet of the Sadguru, who is the tangible and visible Deity.

The Scriptures declare that the Lotus Feet of the Sadguru and the Grace of the Lord Almighty are not distinct but identical.

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The Value of Traditions:The religious practices and other ways of life that have been inherited

through generations are called the traditions. These are, in the Hindu Religion, the “Aachaaras” or disciplines and the “Anushtanas” or codified ways of life, followed differently by various types of people. These arise from the heritage and culture in which one is brought up. These are nothing but the preservation of basic human values consistent with habits, customs and traits of people, along with other associated environmental factors.

The elders in the community set and regulate these traditional standards, which they themselves have inherited, and pass them on to future generations. This operates as the ethos of the people. Various types of rituals are also included in such traditions, which, besides giving impetus to these, also make them living entities.

In Hindu religion, prayers are offered for the protection, peace and welfare of all as well as for preservation of the yagna or sacrifice. It may even be said that the Indian culture is built on yagna which means not only ritualistic sacrifice, but also, the sacrifice of one’s self for the sake of the basic principles that lead to the prosperity and peace of all fellow beings.

The traditions in India, which have their roots in the Vedas and, also, in the Intuited Truths revealed from time to time by the vast array of Saints, Seers and Mystics, stress upon the practical codes of conduct which have their base on everlasting values such as Satya or righteousness and sincerity in thought word and action; Tapas, or penance, meaning observances that involve self-denial and self-restraint; tending of consecrated fires and offering oblations to bring about human welfare; bringing up a family, performing marriage as ordained and; at the appropriate time, for the perpetuation of the family, service to the elders and preceptors and holding them in highest veneration and respect and so forth. These form the entire spectrum, or the gamut of life, to be lived fully in all its aspects.

Aasaan Pandrimalai Samikal meticulously follows the traditions in which he has been brought up and nurtured. These have not, in any way, conditioned or restricted Him to lead His life of spiritual fullness even amidst the modern environments. On the other hand, it would be a fact to say that, the Master fits in and is in perfect attunement

with the present day world. He has found neither the need to shed the tradition, which still forms His background, nor has He swerved from the traditional values He has imbibed. Such great God-Realised Souls are, therefore, the great pace setters for the proper continuance of the traditions and their values, which do not in any way, impair the Catholicity or Universality of outlook and active participation in the differing facets of human life and endeavour.

Thus, it would be quite desirable and necessary for people following different paths and religions, to follow their traditions, ethos and culture, particularly suited to their customs, habits and the society around them. They can continue to form a part of the world fraternity with service to all, through Universal Love and Freedom.

Grihasta-Asrama or Life of a Householder:Out of the four asramas of life, viz Brahmacharya, Grihasta,

Vanaprastha and Sanyasa, the Hindu Religion lays the greatest emphasis on the sacredness of family life (Grihasta-Asrama) and the marriage-tie.

The wife is called the “”Sahadharma – Charini” and is, therefore, the copartner in all rites and duties performed by her husband. The marriage-tie is stated to be unbreakable and is held as sacrament for the elevation of the soul.

Indian culture is embedded in the idea that chastity is a must in the life of a woman. The married woman is to consider her husband as God.

A Hindu should, along with his wife, follow the injunctions laid out by the Preceptor and the Scriptures. The family is to be reared with paternal affection, filial love, fraternal care and marital caress. Duties are structured on preserving the family as a unique unit.

As a householder, a person has duties to perform, to propitiate or please the pitrus (ancestors) and devas (deities). The mother has to be regarded on par with God as she gives birth and nurtures. The father has to be worshiped as God, as he gives the physical body and brings him up. The Guru or the Preceptor is to be regarded as God, as he gives him spiritual birth, leading him to the path of knowledge to attain Godhead. The Athithi (guest) is considered as Narayana (God) Himself

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and shall be served and attended to. These are the cardinal principles, or Dharma, on which the life of a householder is built.

The householder is the sheet anchor, supporter and maintainer of the other Asramas of life viz, Brahmacharya (devoted to study and learning), Vanaprastha (seclusion for meditation and tapas) and Sanyasa (renunciation of desires). It is in this sense, that the householder’s life is supreme and the best of all other modes of life.

The Sastras state that, for a married woman, her husband is also her Guru. She has to surrender herself to him - body, mind and soul. This stands exemplified by the Holy Consort of Aasaan Sadguru Pandrimalai Samikal who, in the later part of Her married life, was duly given spiritual initiation by Samikal Himself taking the role of the Sadguru. The Holy Mother was a perfect copartner in the Holy life of Samikal as defined in the Sastras. She developed all spiritual powers of Siddhis by merely attuning Herself- body, mind and soul - with Her Holy Husband. Samikal endearingly says, every now and then, that His Holy Consort became perfected not by any religious austerities but merely by serving Him most devotedly and becoming One with Him by thought, word and deed.

It is, thus, said that the life of a householder, if properly and righteously lived, develops the necessary attributes for Self-Realisation in this life itself as described below:

“Truth is my mother; Knowledge or Gnana is my father,

Dharma or righteousness is my brother,

Daya or kindness is my friend,

Peace is my wife and Mercy my son,

These are my relations.”

Sat-Sanga:The means to get rid of evil tendencies of the mind is Sat-Sanga

or association with good and wise persons. Such associations work a subtle alchemy even though its effects might become visible after a long time. The contact with good souls will produce, in course of time, the attitude to engage oneself in good thoughts, always; speaking only

His Holiness Samikal with his Holy Consort

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good words and; performing only good deeds.

Great Saints like Samartha Ramdas, Sri Tulasidas, Thayumanavar, the great Nayanmars and Alwars and various other God-men of other religions that the world has produced and contemporary Realised Souls like Aasaan Sadguru Pandrimalai Samikal, with their minds perfectly surrendered to and attuned with God, have been concerning themselves only with the good of mankind; to share with mankind the Divine Bliss they have obtained and; to lift mankind to higher levels of spiritual realization and consciousness.

It is by association or with such Godly and good persons, serving them and listening to their words of nectarine wisdom, that one can develop the attitude to think in terms of, not only, his own upliftment, but, also to serve and do good to others as well.

True culture consists in the transformation of the self in the development of positive values that promote the integration of the self. Such integration expands, eventually, to the integration with society and, ultimately, integration with the entire Universe and the Supreme Self or the Godhead.

Thus, it is what Adi Sankara declares:

“Satsangatve Nissangatvam

Nissangatve Nirmohatvam

Nirmohatve Nischalachittam

Nischalatatve Jeevanmukthihi”

which means:

Attachment with the good, results in detachment

Detachment results in the removal of delusion

Delusion vanishing, the mind becomes steady

Steady mind leads to Liberation.

Such is the great merit of Sat-Sanga.

Sadhu Seva: ‘Sadhu’ means a person who is content with his own Self. This is due

to his attunement and constant communion with God who resides in him. His mind becomes equable and he develops equipoise due to his inner ‘felt’ experience that the God who resides in him also resides in everything else.

Service to such a Sadhu is stated to be the easiest way for a spiritual sadhaka to purify his mind and attain chitta-suddhi. It is only the purity of mind that leads one to bhakti (love or self-surrender) to God, by obtaining the Grace of the Sadhu. This paves the way for Mukti or Liberation.

For service or duty to become perfect and selfless, it is necessary to know and experience that it is God that manifests and pervades every thing in this Universe. Sadhu Seva is an essential prerequisite for this knowledge and experience, as it is only the intense love and service to God and His votaries that get reflected as true or selfless love and service to all His created beings.

The life of Sadguru Pandrimalai Samikal would not only reveal, but will constitute a standing example of the intense devotion, faith and love with which He served the Sadhus (Sad-Gurus) whom God had sent as His Holy Emissaries to bring out or revealing to the world at large, the divinity in Samikal.

Iswara - Nama - Sankirtan:The power of God’s Nama (Divine Names) sung by the Saints and

Mystics in praise of the Lord, is immense and indescribable.

Once a person gets a taste of the elixir of Iswara-Nama-Sankirtan, he will never let go of it. He becomes attuned to heavenly life and divine bliss, leading him into God-Realisation.

Scriptures declare that God and his Name are indeed One and the Name itself is the gateway to emancipation from rebirth and attainment of the God-head. The constant repetition of the Names of the Lord with intense devotion and, especially, in the holy company and presence of Saints and Sadhus, and in the temples of God, creates an atmosphere surcharged with bhakti, One can, here, raise himself from body-consciousness to spiritual consciousness.

Music, due to its harmonious symphony, has been described and felt,

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by all, to be the easiest and best vehicle for complete attunement and absorption of the mind. The great devotees of God have, therefore, employed with natural felicity the musical notes to sing their inspired songs on the countless attributes of the Lord. It is no wonder that such divine music on the Lord’s Glory elevates the devotees to spiritual heights and ecstasy and makes them surrender to the Lord and become His perfect instruments to serve His purpose, as ordained by Him.

His Holiness Pandrimalai Samikal always stresses the importance and significance of the proper and correct ‘Bhava’ - (Life force as different from mere form) - being employed in Sankirtan. Aasaan says that it is only the proper emphasis on the correct swaras or intonations, which will set up the vibrations for securing the Mano-Laya or devotional attunement. Mere parrot-like repetition will tend to become empty and meaningless, being devoid of bhakti. The vibrations set up by Nama - Sankirtan do not stop with the ear; they induce vibrations in our subtle body and the entire human nature comprising its emotions, feelings and consciousness, is harmonised, becomes sublimated and attuned to God-head.

San - Marga:Aasaan Sadguru Pandrimalai Samikal says, by keeping constant

company with good and saintly persons (Sat-sang); by serving such noble and wise souls (Sadhu-seva) with sincerity and devotion and; by attuning the mind to the Lord by singing and praising His eternal glory with the proper bhava, steeped in bhakti (Iswara-Nama-Sankirtan), one sets his path firmly on the attainment of God-head, which is called the True Path or San-marga.

Saints, Seers and Mystics of all times have left behind them trajectories which have led them to realise the Self or God. Following these paths with devotion and discrimination, it has been stated, makes one capable of securing the very same goal attained by these God-men. The paths may appear different at the beginning, owing to differing attitudes, inclinations and capacities of the postulants. However, it has been declared in the Scriptures and, also, affirmed by contemporary Self-Realised Souls and Mystics like Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Samikal that, for all the ardent and devoted seekers of the Ultimate Truth and Reality, the Guru or the Teacher will come, without fail and of his own

accord, in their path and ‘take them over’ to help them achieve the goal they have set forth. There is nothing more powerful or enduring than the Grace of the Guru to attain perfection in life, as their Grace (Arul) is no different from that of Para-Shakti, the Universal Mother, the Dynamic Power or Force of God.

Humility:The one quality essential for every person is “Vinaya”. Vinaya is a

comprehensive word that stands for humility, gentleness or one’s true and correct nature (jd;ik> gz;G in Tamil). Vinaya is the hallmark of culture.

Aasaan Sadguru Samikal states that, without vinaya, no type of vidya or knowledge will be able to establish the proper foundation for good character and conduct. This is an essential ingredient for the development of self and society.

Knowledge sans humility will result in “ahambava”, i.e egoism, which comprises pride, vanity, arrogance, hypocrisy, besides other evolutions of these. Such knowledge will, in all likelihood, lead one in quest of pleasures of the senses, enticing the mind only towards a materialistic way of life. It would not offer any inclination to ensure spiritual upliftment; without which life will be empty and meaningless.

Thus, decidedly, vidya is always associated with vinaya which, by way of explanation, means harmony or integration of head and heart.

Mere faith (which is associated with the heart, the seat of feelings or emotions) without knowledge, will only be hollow and uncertain. So too, mere knowledge (which is associated with the head, the seat of the intellect) without faith, will produce nothing righteous and good since all human values, like love, service and kindness, are all in the realm of feelings only.

Equability of mind, expansive kindness and love - for all fellow beings and all other living creatures - are only the offshoots of the right type of knowledge and faith, which culminate in God-realisation.

Even divine nature is apt to be polluted at the height of its divinity if there is no humility and consciousness of nothingness before God and the Self-Realised Guru, who are one and the same.

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Bhagawan Pandrimalai Samikal repeatedly stresses upon the importance of vinaya for any aspirant, stating that, as a disciple, He was all vinaya towards His Preceptors and, it was due to such non-ego and self-surrender that every kind of divine knowledge was bestowed on Him by His Preceptors; they, who were Saints of the highest order.

The constant prayer to the Lord Almighty should only be to remove “Ahambava”, which is the veil that separates one from God, rending which the person becomes divinised.

Temple Culture:Culture or Kalachara as is connoted in Hinduism, is a comprehensive

term which includes the way of life of the individual, the society, besides comprising all the basic values of the entire spectrum of socio-economic-political and religious life.

The root “fy;” (Kal), in Tamil, means learning. Learning, not only to make a living but, also, learning to attain perfection in life.

The Temple culture is an essential mainstream of the Hindu culture as is, also, the case with all the religions of the world. A place of worship is held sacred and symbolises the very concept of God-hood.

In our land there is no town or village without a temple. They are the standing monuments of the ever-continuing spiritual traditions of our country. They play a significant part in community life, helping to preserve and enrich our religion and philosophy, arts and crafts.

The ancient Tamil saying ‘Nfhapy; ,y;yh Chpy; FbapUf;f Ntz;lhk;” - the place where there is no temple is not worth habitation-and ‘Myak; njhOtJ rhyTk; ed;W” - temple worship is the highest good – goes to establish how much of importance and significance for temples have been given as a basic necessity of life.

The Vedic Rishis saw the entire universe as the temple of God “Aalayam Lokam Akilam”.

Agamas, or sciences relating to the detailed planning and construction of temples, form a part of Hindu Scriptures. This fact seems to apply to other religions as well, even with respect to Churches, Mosques, Synagogues and others.

The building of temples is a God-centric plan meant to ensure, both,

material and spiritual wellbeing of individuals and communities. In ancient times, even town or village planning appears to have been done with the temple at its centre; just as the heart is described to be the centre in a human body, in view of its crucial significance.

According to Hindu Scriptures, the temple is only an external symbol of the human body. In fact, many of the technical names of the parts of the body are similar, just like the seven prakaras corresponding to the seven adharas or chakras, the sanctum sanctorum analogous to the heart, the Mula vigraha or image of God corresponding to the In-dwelling Atman etc. This verily proves the popular saying ‘mz!lj;jpy; cs;sJ gpz;lj;jpYk; cs;sJ” what is in the macrocosm is in the microcosm as well. The temple represents, on the cosmic scale, the entire creation of the Lord - the Lord Himself being at the centre.

The temple has been, and even now is, the centre of civic life and activities. It is a perpetual reminder that God is the centre and life-source of all activities.

The God-Realised Saints, Siddhars, Seers and Mystics have employed various Mantras, Yantras and Tantras for the creation of a Divine Presence of concentrated spiritual power for the various Deities in the temples. These are maintained, strictly, by following the rituals or disciplines prescribed. The rituals in worship can be compared to the husk of the seed preserving the life of the seed. Even as a husk separated from the seed loses its function and importance, rituals separated from the faith of worship and devotion, become mechanical and lifeless.

It is well known that temples have been built in India, not only where Incarnations of God were born and lived during particular periods, but also where Saints, Seers and Mystics left off their mortal coils. Temples have also been built upon such sacred burial spots, where worship and prayers are offered to these Deified and Divine persons. Such consecrated places are spread all over the world even today, places such as Jerusalem, Mecca, Medina and numerous other sanctified places.

The several manifestations of God as Avatars or other God-realised souls, on account of the Lord’s Infinite Mercy and love to redeem mankind, constitute the Archa-roopas or Icons of God, for purpose of worship. A person can worship in conformity with his individual taste,

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tradition, customs and belief. In whatever form one worships, when it is with faith and devotion, God reveals Himself in That form to him.

The festivals and melas (religious fairs), music and other arts and crafts, the pilgrimages and congregations of people on special occasions, without differences of caste, creed or status in life, not only emphasise the collective participation of the entire society, but also reiterate the basic ethical and moral values of fraternity and equality before God, despite all other distinctions and differences.

All said and done, the culture around temples is a constant reminder, to the people, of the Eternal Glory of God, the splendid sport of Divine Shakti in Cosmic manifestations, in the affairs of humanity as well as in the lives of all beings. It stresses, to all, the need to reach the ultimate goal of God- Realisation or the Supreme state of Bliss and Knowledge.

Aasaan Sadguru Pandrimalai Samikal, the Master Mystic of today, vouches that the sanctity and divinity of many temples of yore is well preserved even now. By His Yogic powers, Aasaan is able to invoke several Deities in the many temples He visits with His disciples, thus proving the spiritual power and potency of these Deities beyond doubt. Sadguru Samikal forcefully declares that devoted worship in these temples of great spiritual concentration is a must for all aspirants in the spiritual path for development in successive stages of Atma Shakti (Soul Force), so that Iswara Sakshatkaram or God-Realisation is attained in due course, by the Grace of the Sadguru and the Lord Almighty.

The Potency of Spoken Word:A fruit in the tree can be hit and secured by employing a bow and

an arrow. In the same way, a Yogi can obtain anything desired in this world by employing a divine word or mantra, associating it with ‘Vaasi’ or Life-breath.

Bhagawan Pandrimalai Samikal proves beyond doubt, the limitless potency behind the divine and sacred mantras. The actual spoken word of a Self-Realised Soul becomes the Truth and Sacred mantra. This is termed as Satya-Vak in Scriptures. The potency of such divine words or mystic syllables - it is stated – firstly, all dangers and difficulties

in life are warded off, secondly, all the Aiswaryas, Siddhis and Mystic powers are secured and, lastly, the final goal of Moksha or Emancipation is attained.

Vedas declare that Rishis or Mystics are the Seers of the Mantras - “Rshayo Mantra drashtaraha”. These are Revelations intuited by the Self or God-Realised Souls, due to the Grace or Shakti of the Atman or God, the In-dwelling Reality.

One has to do tapas (austerity) to regulate the Vak or speech, to discipline and control oneself and attain Gnana or True knowledge. Para-Shakti or the Dynamic Force of the Lord is worshipped as “Saraswati” or Vak-Devi. The Devi’s Grace descends on the person who employs the Nama-Japa of the Realised Sad-Guru or Devi, who are, both, one and the same.

It has to be seen to be believed; Aasaan Samikal is able to perceive any mantra or any type of upasana revealed to Seers and Mystics of yore, by mere volition. Aasaan’s spoken words become the absolute truth, thus proving the Scriptural dictum that the “Satya-Vak” of the Gnani who stands established in Satya or the Truth, becomes, at once, real and true.

Aasaan, in His lighter mood and in humourous vein, always reminds His disciples that when a word spoken by an ordinary person in anger is capable of stirring up a powerful reaction on the person against whom it is aimed, what can one say of the mighty potency of the words of God-realised souls!

Sat - Chit - Ananda:Every living being seeks happiness, knowingly or unknowingly.

Such a state of happiness is also required to be continuous and full. It goes without saying, that, for any rational being, the imperatives for unstinted happiness are to get over mortality or death; to secure Knowledge of the Divine and; the Conscious Power that goes with Knowledge. In other words, eternal existence (Sat), Conscious Power and Knowledge (Chit) and unalloyed happiness or bliss (Ananda) are the goal and purpose of life.

The limiting or restricting factors that prevent everyone from attaining these three - fold aspirations of life are the conditioning adjuncts or

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upadis such as the senses, mind and intellect. These fractionalise the fullness or plenum of bliss, that is God.

Introspection reveals that happiness or bliss that is sought for externally, is only a state of mind that is within.

We believe in the existence of God who is Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient. It is He who manifests Himself in infinite variety.

Lord Shri Krishna says, in Holy Bhagawat Gita, that He is the fragrance in flowers, brightness in the light, vasanta (spring) among the seasons and so on. This would mean that God has a forceful presence in everything sublime and great, even though He is immanent in everything and there is nothing else besides Him. When we, off and on, realise God’s presence in the great and sublime, we are transported to the realm of bliss. But this bliss is relative and fractional due to the limitations of our senses and mind.

We forget that each sense organ is adapted only for a particular type of perception to contribute to our enjoyment. We also forget, for the time being, that the sense organs, the sensations they produce and the material on which they play about, are all bestowed by the Supreme God who is the Source of all these. We lack the consciousness that it is His Prasadas or gifts that we enjoy and, therefore, we fail to dedicate our enjoyments, limited as they are, to Him who is the fountain-head of all these. But, to avoid such abuse of our senses and to sublimate them for a higher purpose, we are asked to make offerings of our enjoyments symbolically to God and, only then, enjoy them.

Just as a true reflection cannot be seen in a mirror that is shaky, God, the Absolute Bliss, cannot be realised by a disturbed mind.

Therefore, it is stated with the authority of the experience of Self-Realised Souls, when one disciplines and harmonises the senses with the mind, making the mind one-pointed (Ekagrata), such a person will transcend the limiting adjuncts or conditioning factors and merge with the pure, unalloyed and eternal bliss that is the Lord within.

The great Sage Tirumular says that it is only this fetter of securing the mind with the Lord’s Lotus Feet or the Supreme Bliss within, that will loosen all other fetters of the mind, which make it stray and miserable, causing bondage, The Supreme Bliss is called “Purna” or Full. What is Purna or Full should be everywhere. Thus, it is that, God who is

Purna is present absolutely in everything that He has created. There can be nothing else but God as, otherwise, the quality of fullness will get diminished or affected.

The Sadhana for the attainment of “Sat-Chit-Ananda”, or the spiritual Plenum of Bliss, is most effectively declared, by Aasaan Sadguru Pandrimalai Samikal, in His own, inimitable, simple way, while rendering the meaning of His oft repeated Tamil song on His Ishta Devata Lord Shri Muruga

‘Ie;J Kfk; Njhd;wpy; MWKfk; Njhd;Wk;

ntQ;rkhpy; mQ;rnyd Nty; Njhd;Wk;

xU fhy; epidf;fpd; ,UfhYk; Njhd;Wk;

KUfh vd !NwhJthH Kd!”

(Ie;J Kfk; Five sensesMW Kfk; The Unifying or harmonising mindNty; Gnana Vel or the Spear of Knowledge,Ufhy; Both here and beyond.)

Such is the state of Sat-Chit-Ananda that has been experienced by those God-men and Self-Realized Souls, who see the entire universe in their own selves and their own selves in the entire universe. They become perfect instruments of God for His own purpose, with their minds, however, attuned to God and enjoying His Eternal Glory and Bliss. They transcend the limitations of their physical body and environments, even though they play their parts as ordained by God

This immortal state, which is indescribable, is vouched by Aasaan Sadguru Samikal as His Immediate Felt Experience and, also within the realm of achievement of true seekers, with their intense, devoted sadhana, combined with the proper guidance and Grace of the Self-Realised Sadguru.

OM TAT SAT

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His Holiness Samikal

chaPTer 5PriceLess PearLs

Religion is a link uniting, rather, rejoining man to God. Religion helps stimulate thoughts of man on God. We hear in the spiritual history of the world that great men during great moments of their lives saw God, spoke with God and became one with God. After enlightenment, they began to preach about eternal truth, that Love is God, Truth is God and Light is God.

“The short sayings of wise and good men are of great value like the dust of gold or the sparks of diamonds!” says Tillotson.

The priceless pearls are the words of wisdom of Aasaan Sadguru Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Samikal. A few of them have been gathered and presented here. Aasaan Sadguru’s sayings in Tamil have been rendered in English, to the best of our ability.

1. God is Love and that is the Truth.

2. God is immanent in the ‘Word’ and the ‘Word’ is God.

3. Divinity is beyond the reach of science; it begins where science ends.

4. Think of the THINKER of Thought.

5. Mere wearing of saffron robes cannot take you nearer God but purifying your mind will.

6. Rare, indeed, is this human birth. The goal of life is to realise Oneness with God. Everyone should strive to achieve it.

7. No matter how busy you are, devote at least five minutes daily to meditate on Him (God)

8. One is put to many tests before he attains true Devotion (Bhakti). Therefore, persevere and strive hard, unceasingly.

9. The universe is pervaded by and is vibrant due to the immanence of the Supreme Lord who is, himself, vibrant. By His Infinite Grace alone the universe exists and all beings live in it.

10. To the extent man strives to realise God, to that extent his mind

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becomes pure and good. When his mind merges with the Lord, Lord’s Grace breaks the shackles of birth and he realises His Grace and Power.

11. Bhakti leads to Siddhi, and Siddhi leads to Mukthi. Mukthi is Self-realisation; Self-realisation becomes God-realisation.

12. Amongst God’s creation, only a few human beings aspire for union with the Divine. The rest are immersed in the miasma of material comforts.

13. Man is the architect of his life. It is given to him to make or mar himself.

14. Man is like a magnet but with life and feelings. The magnet has neither life nor feeling. It can only attract iron which is placed near it. But the human magnet does not stop with this. If the soul-force is developed, it can penetrate into objects not only of this world but of numberless worlds beyond, and apprehend and attract all things in them.

15. Human beings, endowed with the power of discrimination, owe it as their duty to praise and worship all the forces permeating the macrocosm and the microcosm. The macrocosm is the universe and the microcosm is our body. ‘That which is in the universe is also contained In the body’ is the sublime truth The realisation that all these forces exist in our body and permeate it, is ‘Thathuvagnana’ or the knowledge of the Fundamental Principles of Nature and God.

16. The ‘Thathuvagnani’ is one who has realised the secret forces at work based on the Truth, “I am Brahmam” and “Thou art That” (Aham Brahmasmi; Tattwamasi).

17. “Know Thyself ” is the quintessence of the teachings of our Vedantic Seers.

18. God in His formless state is all Pure Eternal Bliss (SadaSivam); His state of forms is all Maya or Mind formed.

19. If you think of God now and then, God thinks of you always.

20. If you advance one step towards God. God advances ten steps towards you.

21. How big is God? The Puranas that illustrate the greatness of Siva (GOD) stress upon the impossibility of seeing His Head or His Lotus Feet. How big is He? He is bigger than the desire of man!!

22. One looks at and experiences God in one’s own way according to

one’s understanding and attainment just like one is able to appreciate a peacock for what it is worth; and what it is worth is measured according to one’s own standard and knowledge. A painter, on seeing a peacock, draws a picture of it and enjoys it. A poet describes its beauty in rhythm and song and enjoys it. A hunter shoots it down with his arrow and enjoys a tasty dish of it. A devotee of Lord Muruga (Karthikeya or Subramania) worships it and thus enjoys himself.

23. In short, all are accountants. Everyone from God to man is an accountant; but there is a difference between man and God. Man keeps an account of all the bad deeds of others with a view to wreak vengeance on them at the given opportunity, whereas God keeps an account of all the good deeds of man with a view to shower His Grace at the appropriate time.

24. The salt that is dissolved in water becomes pervasive all over uniformly. The nature of God is also just the same.

25. As we attempt to get nearer to God, the trials and tribulations become more and more; unmindful of these, we have to approach Him with great patience and forbearance; then only we can attain Godhood and become one with Him.

26. When we think of Palani, the Sacred Hill Shrine, we cannot but think of Sage Bhogar; likewise for the Holy Tirupathi, we cannot but think of Sage Konkanavar. So too, the august temple of Padmanabha Swamy of Tiruvanandapuram has to be associated with Sage Agastiyar.

27. When we want to hear the broadcast from a particular station, we have to tune the radio to the wavelength of that station only. Similarly, we can secure the good that we seek only by attuning ourselves to the temples and the great souls who bear the stamp of Holiness.

28. That Holy cow, which has in its body “Gorochanai” (a type of rare medication used in India) will not drink dirty water; it will not even eat the left over grass partaken of by its own species. The characteristics of great men (JEEVAN MUKTARS-REALISED SOULS) are also like these. (This denotes respective discriminative faculties.)

29. It is the nature of God that He manifests Himself according to the nature of the individuals who approach Him. Hence, the various Religions, Faiths and Paths.

30. Milk is the essence of the all-pervading blood in the cow. But, we

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can extract it only from the cow’s udders and not from any other part of its body. Likewise, God who is Omnipresent makes His Grace felt only at selected sacred Holy Spots on Earth, which the Holy Sages and Siddhars have identified for the good of humanity.

31. Where is God?

God is in You. Just as oil is in sesame seeds. By crushing the oil seeds, oil is extracted and seen.

32. To pluck the jackfruit you have to bear the stings of the giant red ants as you climb up the tree. Likewise, you have to overcome, by patience and forbearance, great many obstacles that hinder your spiritual growth before you attain Self Realisation.

33. The rise of mind is the fall of man and the fall of mind is the rise of man. The fall of mind brings the state of complete peace and radiating love. That is the state of “Jeevanmukti” which is free from all possibility of rebirth.

34. Those who live in the world after attaining Knowledge and Realisation of God are like people living in glass houses. They see all inside the room and also all outside it.

35. Just as a lion rushes out of the cage, the Jeevanmukta breaks through the fetters of attachment and rushes out of the prison-house of the world.

36. Physical death and birth have no meaning for the Jeevanmukta. A change of body to him is like a change of garment or a change of residence. He transcends the Scriptures and social conventions and yet never takes a false step.

37. The Vasantha Kaala or season is the cause of fragrant flowers and sweet fruits. But the Vasanta season does not enjoy the fruits; man enjoys them. So too is the trait of a Sad-Guru.

38. God is the best object of study. He who seeks God intellectually is certainly better than the one who is completely ignorant of His existence.

39. There is a difference between the presence of God and the consciousness of His being in us. We are religious to the extent we are able to have consciousness of God.

40. It is better to be aware though blind, than to be blind with eyes wide open.

41. He who has realised the unity of Prakriti and the Atman with Brahman will neither entangle others or himself get entangled in the meshes of transient good and evil.

42. Destiny can be overcome by man’s pure reason and faith. This is possible only for those who, gaining control over the disintegrating forces inside their self and outside in the worlds, negate their influence, and affirm the forces of integration in their thought, word and deed. Thus they establish themselves in a state of equipoise and are set in the path of realising the Divine.

43. Great is he who ennobles good things; Humility paves the way for Bhakti.

44. Love and attachment limited to one’s kith and kin and identification with one’s body are all like the offsprings of ignorance. Ignorance is the root cause of fear. Such ignorance hardly distinguishes the human from the lower species. It is only the Knowledge of the Divine that will stave off this dangerous and Self-devouring ignorance and elevate man from the animal to the spiritual status.

45. Immortality is the birthright of all. Divine consciousness is the most precious heritage of mankind. Every soul is potentially Divine. Indeed, God dwells in the heart of each one of us, but the minds of most men do not rest on Him.

46. To earn God’s Grace, Suddha Bhakti (unalloyed devotion) is necessary. With Suddha Bhakti comes Atma Suddhi (purity of the soul). When the soul becomes pure, one gets Viveka (discrimination) and Vairagya (non-desire), its other gifts being Sat Sanga (sacred company of the righteous), Sadhu Seva (service of the Saintly), Ishwara Nama Sankirtan (singing of the Lord’s Praises), Sanmargam (truthful and right conduct in worldly life)-all of which result in overflowing Bhakti or boundless Devotion to God, which in turn will lead to Siddhi or Attainment, which will in turn lead to Mukti or Liberation. Man in the Liberated state realises Atman, the “In-dwelling” Reality.

47. Milk and water mix freely; but butter churned from milk, when put in water does not dissolve, but floats on it. Similarly, if a man attains Oneness with God, even if he mixes with and lives amongst common men, he does not get lost among them.

48. Though it is true that God dwells in every creature, yet the human

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body is the Holy Temple of God.

49. Great saints are the messengers sent by the Supreme for the purpose of satisfying the aspirations of human beings.

50. The Mahabharata war was won by the combination of the yoga of Sri Krishna with the dhanur of Arjuna, his disciple. Therefore Krishna is called Yogeswara and Arjuna, Dhanurdhara. Both are one. The Nara Narayana are to be found in each one of us. The contemplative wisdom of the Guru and the practical sadhana of the devotee will ensure victory.

51. He is wise, who subjects himself to certain disciplines. Undivided devotion to the Guru and an unflinching control of the senses are necessary. These two are the sure means to secure the ultimate object. This is the lesson which our great God-men have taught us.

52. Control the five senses within the body and behold Him within.

53. The sole object of human endeavour must be to conquer death in life and to negate birth after death and attain the Eternal.

4. God is the Eternal Bridegroom to whom all mortals are drawn as His brides. That alone is true love which suffuses the heart of the devotee. It is love at its best, the highest and the most sublime; love for love’s sake. It is Divine Love.

55. God’s Grace belongs to one and all. To think that “I alone am entitled to His Grace” is ignorance. Even the feeling that one is a servant of God would be adequate enough to root out egoism.

56. The seeker must have faith in God and abiding devotion to Him. Then the Sadguru seeks (finds) him and bestows His Grace.

57. When yogis mindfully bestow mercy, the doors of yogic states are automatically flung open without one’s own efforts. This is a truth worth knowing. Even if the Grace of God and of the Guru are available, unless a man yearns for Liberation or Vision of God, he cannot derive any benefit. Therefore man should strive and work hard in his life-time to attain God-head. One should seek and learn what one does not know, from others who know.

58. The difference between animals and man is that animals possess only the five senses whereas man possesses the sixth sense also. With the special quality of discrimination bestowed on us, it is our duty to

strive to achieve the good of life, namely Realisation of the Soul.

59. If, in the material world, one has to struggle and strive hard for success, how much more should one strive in the spiritual field?

60. The branches of a tree laden with fruit will always bend. If you wish to be great, restrain and humble yourself.

61. Just as rain water cannot remain on a higher level but must flow down below, Divine Grace does not abide in the hearts of those steeped in vanity and pride, but flows down to the humble and the meek.

62. One can remain in the family and still achieve God-Realisation. Like a lotus leaf in water one can remain detached in family life.

63. It is beyond the power of a magnet to attract rusty iron. Once the rust is removed, attraction results. Likes and dislikes make the heart rusty, incapacitating it for the attraction of God’s Grace. God’s Grace is intensely attracted by a pure mind.

64. Growing a beard, shaving off the head, wearing ochre robes etc., do not make a Saint. It is only the purity of mind that ennobles, elevates and takes one nearer to the Supreme.

65. Undergoing great difficulties, one collects wood and other materials to light a fire and many are benefitted by its warmth. Even so, a Saint undergoes great difficulties and realises the Divine. Then, it becomes easy for many to turn Godward by association with the Saint.

66. The Chakras in the spinal column are considered as the Adharas for the Soul. Super sensual experience is possible when the Chakras are awakened through the practice of Raja Yoga. The experience is similar to one who is awakened from sleep by the operation of all the five sense organs in the waking state.

67. Guru: “GU” denotes the darkness of ‘Avidya’ or ignorance that clouds one’s perception and prevents him from knowing his Real Nature of oneness with the Brahman. “RU” signifies the brilliant light of ‘Jnana’ or wisdom which dispels the dismal gloom of Avidya and makes one realise Godhood. Hence the term “GURU” denotes a Realised Soul who has attained the knowledge of Brahman and who is capable of putting his disciples well on the way to salvation by redeeming them from the darkness of Avidya.

68. When you explain to a person what is not known to him, you will

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have to start from facts known to him already and from that build up the explanation. Likewise, to persons who have not experienced Divine Bliss, you can explain Divine Bliss only to a certain extent, that it is something much more intense than sensual pleasure.

69. The tortoise, at the approach of any danger to itself, retracts its five parts (four legs and head) into itself and thus protects itself. So also Mystics withdraw their five senses inwards and merge their minds with God.

70. One can gain a thousand Gurus, but to gain a trustworthy and true disciple, is indeed, rare.

71. Electricity at the point of production is of a high voltage. It is gradually stepped down to the household low voltage for us to enjoy the benefits of using the electric current. So also the Supreme Effulgent Almighty Grace descends to the level at which the Bhakta can enjoy Divine Grace in the form of Gurus, Mystics, and Gods.

72. When you talk about things you know, it will be short, precise and understandable. When you talk about things about which you have little knowledge it will be only verbose and not understandable.

73. The arrival of the king is preceded by trumpets, fireworks and music. So also Self-Realisation is preceded by various inner psychic experiences of sound and light.

74. “Murugu” is a Tamil word having different connotations-Murugu is beauty; Murugu is eternal childhood; Murugu is sweetness; Murugu is Godliness and so on; Murugu also means Grace. Hence it is by chanting the name of Muruga one’s heart melts and Divine Grace descends.

75. One person likes rice cake; another person likes rice pancake; the third person likes sweet pudding made of rice. The rice cake, rice pancake and rice pudding are all from rice only. So also some follow Hindu Religion; others follow Mohamadanism; some others follow Christianity. But all religions spring from the one Eternal Almighty God.

76. The Jnani sees no work in work and work in no work.

77. “Be content”, say some; “Be without worry”, say some; “Be brave”, say some; But a Yogi (Mystic) does not think about these because he has no ego to think.

78. The Mystic sees God in all beings. He does not differentiate

between good men or bad men, friend or foe, rich or poor, high caste or low caste.

79. One must act according to time, place and circumstance. If the act is for a selfish end it will be termed opportunistic. If the act is for the good of society it will be called a righteous one.

80. A mother feeds her children with just what will suit the baby’s health. Some she feeds only with milk, some with liquid cereal food and others she feeds with rice and curds. So also for men, depending upon their inherent tendencies and their state of development, there are various paths and faiths to attain God-hood.

81. Even if your house is an old one, if you look after it and keep it in good repair, it will look like a new one. Even if your house is a new one, if you do not do timely repair and keep it clean and tidy, it will look like an old house. Cleanse your heart of cobwebs of desire and keep it a fit and proper habitation for the Divine.

82. As long as the hair is on your head, it is combed, looked after and even decorated with flowers. But once it is removed from the head, it is treated with contempt. So long as man is righteous and virtuous, he is respected and honoured. But once he loses character, he loses his status in society.

83. How does a man enjoy happiness?

Just like the butterfly tasting honey in different flowers for a fleeting moment, so also man enjoys transient happiness through his senses, from various objects of pleasure.

84. How should a man enjoy?

Unlike the butterfly, man should drink the nectar of God Almighty and enjoy Bliss (Sachidaanandam; Truth-Consciousness-Bliss)

85. You ring a bell and call a man, or clap your hands and call him. You can also call him by his name. Man responds to all the different types of calls. Likewise, God responds with His Grace, in whichever way you call him.

86. God-men are also lawyers. The ordinary lawyer pleads your case in a court of law taking money as his fees. The God-men plead with the Almighty for your welfare and accept only your love as their fees.

87. Only by the Grace of God one gets association with Chiththars. The Chiththar lives only to serve humanity. His Grace flows to one

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and all. Such association with a Chiththar is the result of your actions in your previous birth.

88. Virtuous deeds must be done at the appropriate time. You must pluck the fruit from the tree as soon as it is ripe; otherwise the fruit will get rotten and useless.

89. It is easy to bend the slender bamboo shoots. It is not possible to bend the ripe old bamboo. So also to attain knowledge in childhood is easy. It is rather difficult as one gets old.

90. For a spiritual aspirant, when he attains a certain state of maturity, the Guru comes to him by the Grace of God. It is not necessary for the aspirant to go in search of a Guru.

91. Even if a large number of people write an examination, only a few pass the examination. So also in spiritual effort, only a few succeed.

92. Digging shallow in different places will not yield water, but dig deep in one place and you will strike water. So too, an aspirant in search of Truth must hold on to one Guru only till he attains his goal. If he keeps changing his Guru, he will not attain his goal.

93. What he needs for his future, man saves even now. Likewise by good deeds, man saves virtue in this birth what he needs in his next birth. That should be the aim of this rare human birth.

94. The snails in the tank do not know the sweetness or beauty of lotus flowers in the tank; Whereas the bees come from distant places to drink and enjoy the nectar from the lotus flower.

95. Some pearl divers, because they are unable to hold their breath long enough and dive deep enough to gather the oysters, return to the surface and say that there are no oysters. But a few dive deep with determination and skill and gather the oysters and come up with success.

96. Taking a bath just cleanses your skin. Is it enough? No; you must also cleanse the dirt from your mind.

97. Water cleanses the dirt from your clothes. Great men’s’ words cleanse the dirt from your mind.

98. For the intellectual, scriptural dissertation alone will appeal; whereas for the common man, explaining with parables and proverbs, alone will be understandable.

99. Mind has the tendency to roam about like the wind. It is difficult to control it. Even when it is under control suddenly it emerges uncontrolled like the rogue elephant.

100. Granite stone can be used in many different ways. Some stones are used for making the steps of a house. Some stones are used to make the idols that are worshipped. Likewise our wives and mothers are both women, but our attitude to them differs.

101. The sculptors and artisans build the temples. The Siddhars (Saints) build temples of God in the hearts of men. Both works go on side by side.

102. With the help of a Guru you can have “Ishwara Sakshatkara”, the Blessed Vision of your Chosen Deity; with the help of a Guru you can realise Truth and have Self Realisation. Mere book knowledge will lead you nowhere.

103. The clown in a circus troupe will be able to take up any part in the circus performance and at the same time he can act his “clown” part. Likewise, the Siddhar, when he takes up the role of the Guru, will be an expert in all disciplines and paths required for various devotees and at the same time play his own role also as directed by God.

104. Just as we store the rain water in the lakes and use it whenever we want for irrigation purposes, so also we must absorb the teachings of the Master and act up to his teachings as and when the occasion arises.

105. Engineers build bridges across rivers. The Siddhars build bridges of love between Jeevan and Sivan. They can be called as Engineers in the field of Jnana.

106. Remember that there is destiny. Remember also that there is knowledge of the Supreme. Do not forget that destiny can be overcome with this knowledge of the Supreme who transcends destiny.

107. The pathway to Bhakthi (True devotion) is beset with trials. Therefore strive hard and unceasingly.

108. To those who believe, God is “Kalkandu” (sugar candy); And for those who do not, He is “Kal Kundu” (stone).

AUM SHANTI! SHANTI! SHANTI!

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chaPTer 6haLLeLujah

1.Sing and dance. O sing and dance

With the Master MysticOur winged joy and peace enhance

When his smile lights our wick!

2.Behold the perfect Master there

So simple sweet serene!He sheds His ethereal fireOn the seen and unseen!

3.The Sun above sends warmth and light

And the sky sends us breathThe Siddha Sun here spreads delight

For our psychic health.

4.A look from His is more than book

A word is more than hymnA gentle touch shall cure the sickSome Ash shall make you gem.

5.Like rainy clouds rimmed with lustre

Around Him plays a charmIn Him infinite joys cluster

He is a silent Aum!

6.He sees all with an equal Grace

He gives, ceaselessly gives.He holds us all in His embrace

In Him our being lives!

7.The rich and poor, He looks alikeGod plays wonders through Him

His silent voice spreads without mikeIn His bounty we swim!

8.He directs us to God the One

That expands as many!His beauty is tastefully spun

In cosmic Harmony.

9.Brimming with boundless happiness

Beaming with passion-wingsThe spring bird-Cosmic-consciousness

Brings new-era tidings.

10Behold the Mystic-Master-Love

In every heart it smilesRadiating bliss from above

The smile goes for miles and miles.

11.From sublime sky to simple clod

We see his nectar-flowWe live in God we breathe in God

And get light from His glow.

12.Forget not that God isForget not we are His

Our life is full of fume and fussFor Him we often miss.

13.Open inner communion

And close the rattling mouthYou can live in union

With God who is the Truth.

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14.Behold the beacon of hope

Gyrating up the hillHave courage and climb upAnd feel the blissful thrill.

15.Onward, faithful pilgrim

The Master Mystic leads youLove Him and long for HimThen both are one not two.

Aum Namasiyava Aum!Aum Namasivaya Aum!!Aum Namasivaya Aum!!

aPPendix

Some of the Divine Articles “Vouchsafed to Aasaan Sadguru Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Samikal to satisfy the desire of his disciples” are reproduced in this appendix.

1. The Efficacy of Sri Rama Nama.2. Atma Vidya (Self knowledge)3. Pancha Kosha Viveka4. World Experience5. The Spinal Centres6. The Ideal for All7. Sri Appar8. Sri Sundaramoorthy Nayanar

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The efficacy of sri raMa naMa

H. H. Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Swamigal

The preamble for this Divine article is printed in the chapter Miracles, under the heading “Miracle script” by Mr. S. Ramakrishnan the Editor of Bhavan’s Journal. The Divine Article –“ The Efficacy of Sri Rama Nama” appeared in Bhavan’s Journal dated April 5, 1970.

The power of Rama Nama is immense and indescribable. Its sweetness is unparalleled. Once a person gets to taste the elixir of Rama Nama, he will not let go of it. He becomes attuned to heavenly life. The grace of the Almighty is absolutely necessary for one to even utter it with faith and devotion. Valmiki, the author of the Ramayana, is an example to the point. He led a highly evil life before he became the sage par excellence. Though born in a high caste, he married a low caste woman and took to hunting and robbing to maintain his family. He was steeped in heinous crime.

The time came for his redemption. The grace of the Lord fell on him. It took the combined spiritual strength of the holy Saptharishis to free him from his sinful life of rampage and robbery. They came headed by Narada. They were attacked by Valmiki, who demanded that they should give over everything to him. Narada asked him for whom he was committing such atrocious crimes. The man said that he was doing so for the sake of his wife and children. Then the rishi asked him whether his wife and children would bear any share of the sins committed by him for their sake. Valmiki said that he was sure that they would do so.

Narada directed him to find out whether it was so. Imagine the horror that struck Valmiki when he found out that they refused to subscribe to the dictum that they should bear their share of the sins done by him. He was shocked beyond description. He raced back to the Saptharishis, freed them from the bonds with which he tied them securely and fell at their feet. He prayed for their mercy and for the way out from the boiling cauldron of evil into which he had fallen. Narada then tried to make him utter the divine name Rama.

Valmiki tried to do so. But no! All his efforts in that direction were in vain. The two potent letters would not combine in the proper way. Then the great teacher that he was, the Sage Narada tried a unique method. He asked Valmiki to say ‘MA’ first and then ‘RA’. In this manner, he was directed to say ‘Ma’ and ‘Ra’ one after another and then in quick succession. Ultimately he could utter the divine name perfectly. The Saptharishis then went their way.

The urge to cut himself away from the miserable bonds of Samsara gave a keen edge to his devotion and Valmiki went on repeating Rama Nama at a place. He was oblivious of what happened around him. He knew not about the outside world an anthill grew over him. His meditation ultimately made him divine, so divine that he later became the renowned author of Ramayana, the sacred story of the incarnation of Rama.

Ramanama is Hariharaathmaka. It destroys the sins of a person and will not allow him to think of sinning. The person who utters it cannot swerve from the path of virtue. It is called the Taraka Mantra. It pilots one safely over the ocean of Samsara leading him on to self-realisation. That it is Hariharaathmaka is the divine truth. The great singer-saint, Sri Thyagaraja, sings: ‘Oh Blessed king of men! How to divine who you are? How to do worship to you? Are you Siva, Vishnu, Brahma or Parabrahma? ‘MA’ is the vital life-giving seedletter to Siva Mantra. ‘RA’ is the vital force of the Vishnu Mantra. I make my salutations to those eminent people that have this true knowledge”.

Without the letter ‘MA’, Namasivaaya becomes Nasivaaya which denies ‘Siva’. Without the letter ‘RA’ ‘Namo Naraayanaaya’ becomes ‘Namo Nayanaaya’ denying any place for the existence of the Lord Narayana. The combination of these two letters ie Rama, destroys evil like Rudra and protects like Vishnu. The very same truth is posited when the Tamilian says: Hariyum Sivanum onnethan, Ariyaadavan vayil manne thaan - ‘Hari and Hara are one and the same divinity. One who does not comprehend this, is one, whose mouth is filled with dust’. He has no prospects. The Upanishad Vaakya: Ekam Sath; Vipra Bahndha Vadanthi postulated the identical fact. God is one but the sages call Him by different names.

Rama mantra is Sathrucchedaika mantra in. It is the unique mantra that has the power to annihilate all enemies-not merely external enemies but the internal ones too, namely, the Arishadvargas of Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada and Maatsarya. The lives of the saints like Kabir,

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Tulsidas, Thyagaraja and others illustrate how the evildoers planning to make trouble and mischief for them are dealt with by Lord Rama.

Once, certain evildoers wanted to embarrass Kabir and put him to shame by issuing invitations under his name to Bhagavathas of various places to come over and partake of his hospitality. Accordingly, many Sadhus came there. Kabir was in ecstasy seeing Rama among them. He danced away in delight. The Lord came to his help. He appeared as so many Kabirs to each of the devotees, satisfied them and disappeared without anyone being the wiser about it. The evil men who engineered the situation were converted as a result and, being awed by Kabir’s divine power, surrendered unto him and became his disciples.

Again, at one time, two thieves desired to enter the math of Tulasidas in the night and take away the golden vessels that were in use there. As they neared the gates, they found two divine heroes, bright and lustrous, guarding the precincts and menacing them. They tried to turn about and get away but could not. They were in that unenviable position all through the night. When the day broke, Tulasidas came out. They prostrated before him on the ground in supplication. They recounted to the saint as to what had happened. The saint congratulated them on their Punya. They were indeed blessed, for the two-armed heroes were none other than Sri Rama and his devoted brother, Lakshmana. The very sight of these divinities had burnt away their sins. Thereupon, the thieves became reformed and attended on Tulasidas.

The divine name of Rama Nama when uttered with supreme devotion gives life even to a dead person, even to an inanimate body. Sri Thyagaraja, while on his return from Tirupati after a pilgrimage in search of his pooja idols, came to a place called Madhyaarjunam. There in the darkness, a couple was going and the husband fell into a well and died. The wife was weeping bitterly. Thyagaraja’s heart melted. He sang the song “Sri Rama Padama! Na chittaniki Rave!” in the Raga “Amrithavahini”. At once, the dead man woke up as if from sleep and with the permission of the saint went to Tirupati with his wife.

These are not fables but actual facts. The power of God can be demonstrated. It is demonstrated in the lives of all saints that have gone before. It is being even now demonstrated by Godmen. The only thing is that people refuse to see. Even if they see, they are unaffected. What wonder can there be other than this!

BY S. RAMAKRISHNAN

—

As the readers of the Bhavan’s Journal may be aware, with a view to inculcating in our young boys and girls, particularly in the formative stages, the values of our heritage-ethical, spiritual and cultural-the Bhavan has embarked upon a scheme of graded Text Books on Indian Culture Courses, for Standards 1 to XI, in English and all regional languages.

The tentative syllabus has been sent by our Kulapati, Dr. K. M. Munshi, to many of our living saints and sages, as also to distinguished educationists and scholars for the benefit of their suggestions and advice. Naturally, Kulapatiji had also sent the syllabus to His Holiness Sri Pandrimalai Swamigal for his blessings and comments.

I was in Madras in connection with some work of the Bhavan in the evening of Sunday, August 9. As Shri Swamiji was camping at the residence of Shri K. K. Varma, “Kairali”, Nungambakkam High Road, I went out to see him soon thereafter.

Swamiji was in pooja at that time. After a few minutes, the pooja was over and I was ushered into his august presence.

Swamiji graciously greeted me in his usual affectionate manner in Tamil. I prostrated before him and he applied sacred vibhuti on my forehead and bade me sit.

“Swamiji”, I submitted respectfully, “our Kulapatiji had written to you about our scheme of Basic Culture Course Text-books”,

“Yes, I duly received his letter of July 27”, said Swamiji, in his pleasant manner, drawing out each syllable a bit long as one does when one intends to communicate something more intimately. “But you are aware that I neither know English nor am I a scholar in Sanskrit”.

“Swamiji”, I submitted, “I know with your tapas and intense devotion to Lord Muruga and your deep knowledge of men and matters, you can give worthwhile suggestions for the improvement of the syllabus”.

“As Lord Muruga wills”, mused Swamiji and withdrew himself and was lost in prayer for a while.

In a few moments, on my palms descended some sheets of typed

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paper on which were indicated suggestions to commence each book with a sloka on Sri Ganesha, the Embodiment of Siddhi and Remover of all obstacles and Sri Saraswati, the Goddess of Learning; in the book for Std. IX, to include verses 1, 2 & 3 of Vamana Stotra from Srimad Bhagavata; for Std. X, verses 90, 91 & 92 from Sivanandalahari; and for Std. XI, verses 15, 16, 17 & 18 of Gajendra Moksha from Srimad Bhagavata. The papers contained the transliteration in English of the Sanskrit verses suggested.

As I was to leave for Bombay on the morning of Thursday, August 13, I again called on Swamiji on the night of Wednesday, August 12.

On this occasion, Swamiji materialised and gave me the same slokas in Nagari lipi

By this time, lots of devotees had gathered to receive vibhuti from Swamiji’s hand. After giving the slokas in Nagari lipi, Swamiji queried “anything else?”

Along with me had come Prof P. Sankaranarayanan, Director of Bhavan’s Madras Kendra and Shri Rajanikant Mehta, Hon. Secretary of the Kendra. Also present on the occasion were: Shri K. K. Varma and Smt. Indira Varma, Shri A. K. R. Prabhu, Assistant Commissioner of Income-Tax, Shri T. V. Kamalaswamy, former M. P., Shri P. S. Bhashyam and Smt. Kala Bhashyam, Shri Krishnaswamy, Deputy Director of Fisheries, Government of Tamil Nadu, Madras, Dr. Padmanabhan, Professor of Pathology, Madras Medical College, Madras and over 200 others.

In reply to Swamiji’s query, my friend, Shri Krishnamoorthy, asked for an article on “Atma Vidya” (Self-Knowledge). Swamiji recited a hymn in Tamil. In a few moments, in the presence of all of us, three neatly typed pages with the caption “Atma Vidya (Self-Knowledge)” were in his hands. The said article is reproduced below.

aTMa Vidya (seLf KnowLedge)

Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Swamighal

—

(The above Divine Article was published in Bhavan’s Journal of Bombay dated 28 - 8 - 1970)

VIDYA or knowledge, as it is generally understood, is the knowledge arising from the world experience. It is based on the knowledge of objects gained through the senses and is called “sense knowledge” or relative knowledge. There is another knowledge which is eternal or absolute and is called “self knowledge’’ or knowledge of the Atman. Therefore, it is necessary to inquire into the nature of Jiva, Jagat and the goal of life as below:

1. Who is Jiva or individual soul 2. How does the Jiva come into existence? and3. What is the ultimate destination or what is it that the Jiva has to realise in life?

In the Gita, the Divine Teacher, Sri Krishna, says “the individual soul is but a part of Me”. It is meant that He, the individual soul, has been in existence from time without beginning. The Upanishads describe the individual lives coming out from the Supreme self, like sparks from a fire. Coming as they do from the great fire, the sparks (individual souls) bear the heat and lustre (chaitanya or the capacity to know). As the sparks move farther and farther away from the parent fire, they lose their heat and lustre. Similarly, the individual souls lose their godliness as they move away from the Paramatman. Here then lies the cause for the unhappiness arising out of the turning away from God which in other words, is called Samsara. The spark, when it goes farther away from the fire, ultimately ends up as a piece of dark charcoal. The penance of joy of the individual souls become shrouded in ignorance by their turning away from God. Again, just as the spark from the fire which when it travels back to fire regains its lustre and heat, so also the individual soul when it abides in the Atman or self, regains omniscience.

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Man desires to possess that which he likes most. But the mundane things are liable to be disliked when they become unpleasant. Even the food that is liked most turns out to be harmful due to one’s ill health. The only thing that is lovable at all times is the Atman in us. The Atman is not an external phenomenon or thing. It is lovable for its own sake as it is association less and is therefore ailed “Priyatman”. It is also called “Pratyak”, that which is inside. By this statement it does not mean that Atman is within us as in the sense the milk is in a vessel. The Atman is a separate entity and is a living and driving force standing apart from the body. Yet, it can be known by the mind. The inner consciousness is one and one only. But, at times it is known by its four functions such as mind, intellect, consciousness and conceit. These are like the vehicles of transport that carry us. They may be either owned by us or hired. Similarly, the instruments that help us to attain knowledge of the self are either acquired by us in the previous birth or they may be acquired in this birth by performing virtuous actions and leading our lives in accordance with the ways and means prescribed to us either by scriptures or by a Guru. The Atman is lovable by one and all. We must try to know the Self or Atman because it is the highest object of love. The Atman has neither birth nor death which are the qualities of the body. The root cause of all sorrows is our ignorance of Atman-the pure substance.

To acquire self-knowledge, the advice and guidance of a Sad-Guru is essential. The advice and the grace of the Teacher makes the sun of true knowledge dispel the darkness of ignorance in us. But people do not believe in this great truth, in spite of their daily experience. Though the planet sun is of enormous size, we see it as a small object and consider it so, in spite of our scientific knowledge that it is a very big one. In the same way, masked by ignorance, the true nature of self is not realised in spite of our being endowed with intelligence and subtle thought. Then deluding potency of Maya which makes the impossible possible makes us to identify the Atman with the body and mind. This is because we have not realised the Atman in actual practice. The blessings of the Guru and the sages are the best means to realise the Atman. We must be blessed with their Grace.

OM TAT SAT!

BY S. RAMAKRISHNAN

—

On September 6, 1970, I halted at Madras for a few hours en-route to Ernakulam in connection with the inauguration of the Kerala Kendra of the Bhavan by Sri G. S. Pathak, Vice-President of India, on September 9, 1970.

My good friend, Sri A. K. R. Prabhu, Assistant Commissioner of Income-tax, Sri K.K. Varma, Dr. Padmanabhan and Sri T.V. Kamala-swamy, former M.P , were also with me, when I called on Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Swamighal about 9:30 p.m. on the 6th September.

Poojya Swamiji received us with his usual warmth and affection and bade us sit down. He then started expounding the secret of Panchakosha Viveka. I had heard of the doctrine of Panchakosha, which the Taittiriya Upanishad deals with extensively. However, I had not the good fortune of studying the subject in depth and fully understanding what it meant.

Bhrigu learnt Panchakosha Viveka from his father Varuna thus:

Varuna had sent his son on a voyage of discovery, and the son, after some tapas, came back with partial answers, but was sent back again to search out the complete truth. It was at the end of long and arduous tapas with the grace of Varuna that the son Bhrigu learnt that the Brahman lay transcending these Koshas.

It was a great privilege to listen to a remarkably simple and lucid exposition of this abstruse doctrine in Tamil by Swamiji we were thrilled by the direct and effortless narration.

The upadesha was so good and instructive that we thought that the benefit of it should also be shared with the readers of the Bhavan’s Journal. So we requested Swamiji to bless us with an article on this subject. Ever obliging, kind and considerate, Swamiji chanted a hymn invoking Lord Subramanya and soon flew into my palms this article in four neatly typed sheets and with an illustration.

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Pancha Kosha ViVeKa

Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Swamighal—

(The above article appeared in Bhavan’s Journal of Bombay dated October 4th 1970)

In the last article on “ATMA VIDYA” the need to realise the Atman was stressed and the Atman was described as the eternal knowledge by knowing which man attains everlasting peace in this very birth. The knower of Atman becomes the Jivan Mukta. The knowledge of Atman leading to bliss consciousness is dealt in the present article, which covers an enquiry into the five Koshas or sheaths in which the Atman appears to be encased in the body.

The life period of a man may be broadly divided into five stages.

1. Child-hood: (1-10 Years): The period is prominent in physical growth. There is a great desire for food.

2. Boy-hood: (10 to 20 Years): The period covers physical activity and exercise that demands attention.

3. Youth: (20 to 40 Years). The period is covered with full play of mental activity and the mind desires to entertain likes and dislikes.

4. Middle Age: (40 years to 60 Years). Yoga or desire to know God comes generally at this age. The intellect desires to know the truth during middle age.

5. Old age: (60 years to 80 years). The old age is said to begin when the body, mind and intellect seek rest and peace.

The five different periods of life indicate the five predominant characteristics of the period, viz , food, prana, desire, knowledge and peace. However, the five characteristics do exist in all the five stages of life, though each one finds its accentuated expression in a particular stage. Thus, the human personality can be considered as being clothed in five coatings of these individual predominant characteristics which are present in every human being. These coatings are known as Koshas

or sheaths or attributes. (See figure).

They are:

1. Annamya or the Food sheath

2. Pranamaya or the Vital sheath

3. Manomaya or the Mental sheath

4. Anandamaya or the Bliss sheath

The five sheaths are experienced by one and all. The five sheaths are in full play during waking state. The sheaths from Pranamaya to Anandamaya are active in dream state and the Anandamaya sheath alone is active in dreamless sleep. The Annamaya Kosha is less subtle than the Pranamaya and the Anandamaya kosha is the subtlest of all koshas and the intermediate koshas are located in the order of subtlety.

There is a spring of perennial joy in the heart of every living being and is called self or Atman. The joy seeks expression in two ways. The expression of joy that is expressed or manifested through the five koshas is called the relative good and the expression of joy transcending the five sheaths is called the Absolute good. The relative good experienced in the Annamaya sheath is known as health, in the Pranamaya sheath as strength, in the Manomaya sheath as comfort, the Vignanamaya sheath as knowledge and in the Anandamaya sheath as peace. The joy experienced in Samadhi is beyond all understanding and is the joy of the Atman which is the Absolute good. The joy of Brahman gets various names in world experience due to the various

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attributes, just as the atmospheric air becomes breeze, wind, whirlpool, storm, tornado etc. by virtue of limiting boundaries and particular movements which define them for the time being.

It is therefore seen that each one of the limited joys admits of an infinite variety of joy and that each variety of joy admits of an infinite grade and intensity of that joy. Those who seek the relative good have to perform Kamya Karmas or desirable activities. The Vedas are full of such activities for all types of people seeking relative good. But the Vedanta deals with the Absolute good for the attainment of unlimited joy.

Man has to return to his Master, the Absolute, from whom he has come and with whom he can find life everlasting. The realisation of the Absolute good can be accomplished only with perfected attributes or sheaths and the perfection of the sheaths is feasible only on this earth, for which repeated births are quite essential. The five attributes beginning from Annamaya Kosha up to Anandamaya Kosha are to be purified by practicing Shama, Dama, Uparati, Titiksha and Shraddha respectively.

The result of the Sadhana leads to Samadhana and Samadhi. The word Samadhi is used here for the separation of the soul from the five sheaths, that leads to the identification of the soul with Brahman.

worLd exPerience


This article was materialised by revered Swamiji when Sri N. Mahalingam, Industrialist, Sri A. B. Nair, Editor, Free Press Journal, Bombay and I had the privilege of having

an interview with him at Madras on the 22nd October, 1970 - Editor.

This Divine Article was published in Bhavan’s Journal of Bombay on November 15th 1970.

The last article on Panchakosha Viveka (Bhavan’s Journal, 4th October 1970) described in brief the five Koshas or the attributes of the Jiva or the Soul. The human body is made up of the causal body consisting of the Anandamaya Kosha which is experienced in deep sleep. The subtle body consisting of the Vignanamaya (Manasic), Manomiya (Astral) and the Pranamaya (Etheric) kosha is invisible and is experienced in dream state. The physical body consisting of the food sheath is the gross body of man and is experienced in waking state. All the five sheaths are active in the waking state, the causal and the subtle bodies are active in dream state and the causal body alone exists in the deep sleep state.

The spirit is immanent and is transcendental. The spirit which is immanent in the body is called the soul and the universal spirit which is transcendental is the oversoul or God. The spirit sheathed in the invisible Anandamaya kosha is the soul of man and becomes individualised due to Avidya or ignorance. The individual soul takes further sheaths ending with the gross physical body. The soul has to take a silent probation with its exercising body consisting of various attributes or Koshas till all the attributes are perfected and the soul gets merged in the universal from where it started its career.

The soul and the spirit are both permanent. The faculties of consciousness and will abide in the soul in spite of the fact that the faculties are operated through the agency of the vehicles or bodies as could be proved by our experience of the three states of existence (viz. waking, dream and sleep states. Further, the three bodies consisting of the five koshas are similar to the nervous organisation of the physical

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body that receives the sense impressions from the visible worlds. The sense impressions are carried to the brain through the nervous system. The brain automatically registers all the impressions but does not reflect back into physical consciousness all the impressions. There is therefore the discriminating faculty, called “will” that controls the brain. The “will” of man is in his soul to which the will belongs.

There is thus a constant process of action and reaction through the mechanism of the invisible bodies of man since the soul has to send back its instructions to the physical brain through its channels consisting of the invisible bodies. This is similar to the physical perception of external objects in which the brain and the nervous system work and other physical organs of man are interconnected in the external perception. The sense impression has to travel through the invisible bodies and return back to the brain by the soul which is encased in them. The soul does this work by exercising its will. The gross body contains the nervous channels and the invisible bodies are the corresponding channels working for the world experience.

The invisible bodies constitute the mind, which in the ultimate analysis is only consciousness residing in the soul. The consciousness has to work through the brain, to be aware of any sense perception received from the visible and invisible worlds. (See figure)

The result is Paroksha Gnana or knowledge arising out of the world experience. There is the other Gnana called Aparoksha Gnana where the spiritual perception is made possible and allowed to descend into the physical brain without distortion, to physical consciousness as in

2 3 4 5

SOULCASUAL BODY

SUBTLE BODY

GROSS BODY

}

the case of God-realised persons. This is possible for every individual by virtue of the possession of the precious equipment viz. the human body and the various faculties connected with it.

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The sPinaL cenTres


The article was materialised by the mere wish of the Swamighal in the presence of many devotees. Ed. Bhavan’s Journal. This Divine Article was

published in Bhavan’s Journal of Bombay dated September 3rd 1972.

The article on “World Experience” deals with the working of invisible bodies in relation to the sense perceptions being made aware by the physical brain. The physical brain centres are connected to the five sense organs located in the physical body by nerves. The external sense organs may be described as windows or gateways to the physical body. Similarly, there are windows or gateways located in the invisible bodies of man and they are called Chakras or windows of the soul serving the purpose of sending as well as receiving messages from the corresponding invisible worlds. The Chakras or centres are located in the spinal column and are six in number beginning with Muladhara, Swadistana, Manipuraka, Anahata, Visuddha and Ajna. These centres have the Mula Prakriti and the five undifferentiated elements beginning with earth, water, fire, air and ether respectively as their essence. The six centres are the seats of consciousness, active in the body extending within the spinal column beginning from the lower end and extending up to the top to the brain. From each of the Chakras radiate thousands of Nadis (subtle channels), visible only to the Yogis, and they extend their activity to the corresponding regions in the gross physical body.

The Chakras in the spinal column are considered as the Adharas for the soul. Super sensual experience is possible when the Chakras are awakened through the practice of Raja Yoga. The experience is similar to one who is awakened from sleep by the operation of all the five sense organs in the waking state.

The ‘unmanifest’ Sakti is said to reside in the Muladhara Chakra and is called by the Yogis as the great Kundalini. The body is the living storehouse of power. Yoga aims to raise all the forms of power to their highest degree and expression through the purification of the invisible bodies and bringing into operation the Chakras in relation to physical

consciousness. The Yoga process is the return movement to the source which is the reverse of the creative movement arising out of the world experience. Liberation comes when we realise the source from which we arise. The Jiva (Life Principle) the mind and Ahankara (lower self) are within all living beings. The lower self has the three states (viz. waking, dreaming and deep sleep). The Ahankara or lower self has to enter the fourth state (Turiya) by getting absorbed in the mind itself where from it took its origin.

1) The Muladhara is the starting point in which the Ahankara is absorbed in the mind. 2) The Ahankara gets merged in the mind completely in Swadistana when the mind has no work. 3) Manipuraka is the fullness of the mind. 4) The expression Anahata denotes that the active mind is cooled by the life force or Jiva. All the Vasanas (Latencies) of the mind are destroyed in this centre. The state of the Jiva merging with the mind is indescribable. 5) The vishuddha is the state of purified knowledge or Sivam where both mind and life have blended in perfect harmony. 6) The real awakening takes place at Ajna Chakra and is the state of eternal bliss, that can be experienced and cannot be described.

The seat of Ahankara is in the Muladhara. The seat of mind is in the invisible bodies and the seat of consciousness is in Ajna Chakra located between the two eyebrows.

The Yoga of raising the Kundalini through the various Chakras has to be practiced under the guidance of a Guru with faith and devotion. When Kundalini sleeps, man is awake to the world. When she awakes,

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4

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man sleeps and he loses all consciousness of world experiences and enters (Pravesha) into his casual body realising himself as Sivam.

..........

The members of the Editorial Board of the Journal “Light of Pandrimalai’’ were at the residence of Samikal at Madras on February 24, 1974, There was a select gathering of devotees including some from Bombay. It was 2:30 p m when, in response to the request of Dr. T. V. Renganathan on behalf of the Editorial Board of ‘Light of Pandrimalai’ for a divine article for its first issue, Samikal wanted someone to come forward to receive the article. The choice fell on Mr. Purushothama Reddiar, a devout bakta of Samikal and a leading engineer and contractor of Madras. Mr. Reddiar rushed to Samigal to pay his obeisance and he was beckoned by Samikal to stand in front of Him. Samikal closed the door of the Pooja room only to open it again after two minutes. The glow of divinity beaming on the face of Samikal was increasing gradually. Everyone was anxiously looking forward to the event about to take place. There was pin drop silence. Samikal appealed to Lord Muruga chanting the following soul stirring Tamil hymn.

nrq;Nf oLj;j rptdb NtYk; jpUKfKk;

gq;Nf epiwe;jew; gd;dpU NjhSk; gJkkyH;

nfhq;Nf jusk; nrhhpAk; nrq;Nfhilf; Fkundd

vq;Nf epidg;gpDk; mq;Nf vd;Kd;te;njjph; epw;gNd.

“Oh, My Lord Cumara (Muruga) of Thirurchengode of beautiful and radiant face, holding the all powerful Spear; and with Thine twelve shoulders bedecked with fragrant flowers and Thine Lotus Feet pouring forth the nectar of love; Thou art pleased to come and stand before me whenever and wherever I think of Thee.”

This was followed by Samikal’s supplication of Lord Muruga in clear terms “Oh, Muruga, my devotees want an article for the first issue of Light of Pandrimalai, Will you be pleased to grant their request and bless their endeavour.” Immediately following this utterance we saw two sheets of type written paper, fresh and clean coming from the Pooja room and depositing themselves on the out stretched palm of Samikal. They were instantly handed over to Mr. Purushothma Reddiar who in turn gave them to Dr. T. V. Ranganathan. The article was in

English on ‘Ideal for All’ and was read out and rendered in to Tamil by Dr. T. Ranganathan to satisfy the desire of the eager devotees.

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The ideaL for aLL

(Vouchsafed to Aasaan Sadguru Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Swamighal to satisfy the desire of his disciples)

The ideal of every human should be to attain oneness with Brahman. It is only given to human beings to reach that stage and affirm “Aham Brahmaasmi!” Every one should therefore strive to achieve that position of perfection.

Valmiki, the sage who gave us the sacred Ramayana, questioned thus asking Naradha to name the ideal person in the world.

“Konvasmin tsaampratam Loke Gunavaankascha Veeryavaan. Dharmagnascha Krutagnascha Satyavaakyo Dhrudhavrataha?

Chaaritrenacha koyuktassarva bhooteshu ko Hitaha. Vidvaankaha Kassamarthascha Kaschaika Priyadarsanaha?

Aatmavaanko Jitakrodho Dyutimaankonasooyakaha. Kasyabibhyati Devaascba Jaataroshasya Samyuge”?

He asked: “In this world who is the person who has praiseworthy qualities, who is brave, who knows Dharma, who does not forget the good done to him, who speaks the truth always, who is of firm and steady will and determination, who is of pure conduct following virtuous tradition, who loves all beings with equal intensity, who is a scholar, who is an expert in work, who is of pleasing appearance at all times, who is bold and fearless, who has power to control anger, who shines with brilliance in appearance, who is free from jealousy and whose righteous wrath can even make the gods quake with fear?”

Narada gave Sri Rama’s name.

These sixteen qualities make the ideal man. He will then be one with godhead-Rama.

These qualities can be cultivated by every one in society. Every one must realise his responsibility in life and act firmly without swerving from the path of duty prescribed for him.

For Prajarajya to function effectively, it is absolutely necessary that the above ideal qualities become the property of every individual.

These qualities can be engendered in the people at all stages of development in human life.

The child can be reared in a pure environment by ideal parents and ideal teachers.

The public can be educated and put on the dharmic path by the modern potent weapon of the newspaper and by other media of mass communication like the radio, television and so on. The newspaper plays a vital part in shaping public opinion and maintaining public moral standards. Whatever is good to the people must be voiced forth without fear or favour by the editors of the newspapers whose sacred duty it is to foster the ideals of human life. They have to focus the attention of the people on the relevant things for making life godly and blissful. They have to create in the public love for all and hatred towards none, irrespective of caste, creed, race or colour.

They have to work for the welfare of humanity with a dedicated sense of duty. They should know that Yoga consists in performing one’s duty in an expert way: “Yogah karmasu kousalam!”

They should not lend themselves to the manipulations of careerist selfish politicians. They should expose the wrongdoers and point out the viruses that harm society and destroy its moral structure.

The ideal is set forth by the sage Valmiki for all humans for all time. Lord Rama is the typical example of the ideal. Let everyone attempt to realise that ideal. Then surely Ramarajya will come into being.

In Ramarajya there was no disease, no fear, no widowhood, no theft, no famine and no untoward events. There was no situation where the elders had to perform obsequies to their young ones.

All people were happy.

“Sarvam muditamevaaseet sarve Dharmaparobhavat Ramamevaanupasyante naabhyahimsan parasparam.”

Thinking of Rama people gave up quarrels and enmities. They gave up harming each other. Every one followed the path of Dharma.

Let every one try to create this Ramarajya.

Let the rulers bear in mind that as they are, so will the people be. They have to ensure that Dharma prevails and people live in peace without fear.

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Let all gird up their loins and work in co-operation for the establishment of this kingdom of heaven on earth.

Our Upanishads embody the above ideas.

They pronounce “Daiveeswastirastunaha! Swastirmaanushe-byaha! Oorthvam Jigatu bheshajam! Sam no astu Dwipade! Sam Chatushpade! Om Saantissantihi!”

They pray for the wellbeing of the gods, the human beings, the two-legged creatures and the four legged ones, all of them.

Not only that.

They say, “Sahanaavavatu, Sahanaubhunaktu Sahaveeryamkara-vaavahai, tejasvinaa vadheetamastu, maavidwishaavahai!”

All knowledge shall be obtained between people with free intermingling in living, feeding, working and learning, thus obtaining enlightenment with brilliance and without any trace of ill will creeping in between the participants in this sacred venture.

It is therefore the bounden duty of all to pursue the above ideals set forth above and particularly the responsibility of those who control the eyes and ears of mankind through news media.

The above Divine Article appeared in the Quarterly Journal “Light of Pandrimalai” April 10th, 1974 issue.

The Puja was over at “Om Namasivayam” by 11 a. m. on 11th April, 1974. His Holiness Samikal with the effulgence and the spiritual aura surrounding Him, as usual after the Pooja, handed over the Aarathi to the devotees eagerly waiting for His Holy Dharshan. After obeisance to His Holiness by all present, Dr. T. V. Ranganathan from Tirachirapalli made his humble submission to Samikal to grant a Divine Article, for publication in the October 10th issue of the ‘Light of Pandrimalai’. As is His wont, His Holiness made a soul stirring supplication to Lord Shri Muruga to grant the prayer and instantaneously a five page typed article on “SRI APPAR” flew into His outstretched hands. At the direction of His Holiness Dr. T. V. Ranganathan read and translated into Tamil the article to all the devotees present, who included top government officials and some leading industrialists. This Divine Article now adorns this issue.

Editor

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sri aPPar

(Vouchsafed to my Adiyaan Aasaan Sadguru Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Swamighal to satisfy the desire of his disciples)

The above Divine Article appeared in the quarterly Journal “ Light of Pandrimalai” dated October 10th, 1974.

“Namo Bhakta bhavacchedakaaranaayaamalaatmane

Kaalakaalaaya Kaalaaya Kaalaateetaayatenamaha

Jitendriyaaya Nityaaya Jitakrodhaayatenamaha

Namahpaashandabhangaaya Namahpaapaharaayate!”

Salutations are offered to Lord Siva, the destroyer of the Lord of Death, the Time Spirit and the One beyond Time who frees his devotees from the tentacles of births and deaths and who is the Pure Atman. Worship is made to him who has controlled the senses and conquered anger. He is the curber of all nonbelievers and fanatics and wipes out all sins. I salute him.”Lord Siva’s glory praised above could be seen in the divine life of his sterling devotee Tirunavukkarasu or Vageesa Najanar known widely as Sri Appar. He ranks equally with the famous devotees Tiru Gnana Sambandhar and Sri Sundaramoorty Najanar who were highly blessed by the Lord. Tirunavukkarasu was quite a saint of the highest order and he felt himself animated by the Lord. He was like the devotee who prayed:

“Mahaadeva Sambho Gireesa Trisoolin Tvayeedam

samastam vibhateeti yasmaat

Sivaadanyathaa Daivatam naabhi jaane Sivoham Sivoham

Sivoham!”

He felt that Mahadeva or Sambhu, the Lord of Parvati, wielding the Trisul is the lighter of everything and the giver of all prosperity. There was no other God for him except Lord Siva. He felt he was permeated by Siva. In his Tevarams or hymns of praise of the Lord he said that the Lord Sankara who had the senses under control had burnt out his

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sins and made him sattwic so that his mind thus purified had been able to realise the glorious form of that Lord who made the sages wise and made him know Para Tattva.

He was born to a pious couple who lived in the village of Tiruvarur in Munaippadu region of South India. His father was called Pugalanar and his mother Madiniyar; they were staunch devotees of Lord Siva. They had a daughter called Tilakavati and then Tirunavukkarasu was born. He was given the name Marulneekkiyar. He was very intelligent and learnt the sastras and other branches of study with ease. In the meantime Tilakavati came of age and her parents decided to give her in marriage to Kalippahayar, the commander of the king’s forces and an ardent devotee of the Lord. While terms were being negotiated for the marriage, a war broke out and Kalippahayar had to take part in it. So he went out to perform his duty. Here Pugalanar died of sickness and his wife consigned herself to the flames as a Pativrata. To add fuel to the fire, Kalippahayar died in the battle. Tilakavati felt that as he was her intended husband she should also commit sahagamana. But her brother pleaded with her saying that he would also follow her as life without her was impossible for him. Tilakavati yielded to his entreaties and abandoned the idea of sahagamana. She led the life of a celibate and performed service to Lord Siva. Marulneekkiyar also followed her footsteps.

He grew to be of age. He felt life to be short-lived and began spending money for constructing mutts, choultries and the like showing charity to the poor. After some time he felt that he should become a monk pursuing the path of nonviolence. He went to Pataliputra and took to Jainism. In a short time he became the acknowledged leader of the Jains. He was made the prime Acharya and called Dharmasena. Tilakavati came to know about the downfall of her brother who had forsaken the path of Lord Siva and became a PA Shanda. Her misery knew no bounds on hearing this news about him. She prayed to Lord Siva:

“Jagannadha Mannaadha Gowreesanaadha

prapannaanukampinvipannaartihaarin

Mahahstomamoorte Samastaikabandho

Namaste namaste Punaste Namostu!”

“O Lord of the Universe! My master and Lord of Mother Gowri! I

salute you the protector of those that are in dire state needing help and that surrender unto you. You are the only well-wisher and relative of all. I again and again salute you.” She prayed to the Lord to save her brother from the wrong path he had fallen into. Her agony was felt by the Lord who appeared to her in a dream and said: “Shed your sorrow. Your brother had performed Tapas in his previous birth to attain me. Due to a defect in it, he has gone astray now. I shall make him suffer intense shooting pain in the stomach and convert him to be of my mind.” This consoled her. At once Marulneekkiyar was attacked by shooting pains in the stomach. He tried every cure in vain. His Jain disciples administered all sorts of medicines and religious routine with muttering of charms and the like to no purpose. The pains increased and Dharmasena was at his wit’s end. He felt himself to be in the jaws of death. Then he thought of his sister and felt that she alone could cure him. He was now certain that his having forsaken the path of Lord Siva was responsible for his pitiable fate. He sent messengers to bring her to him. But she refused to set foot in the camp of unbelievers and they had to return without her. Dharmasena felt that he should forsake the Jains whose efforts could not cure him. He decided to fall at the feet of his sister and pray to her to get him cured by the grace of All Merciful Lord Siva. His condition roused the pity of Tilakavati. She initiated him to the Holy Panchakshari mantra and asked him to worship the Lord. He went along with her to the temple of Veerasthaneswarar where she swept and cleaned the surrounding as a religious duty every day with steadfast devotion and love. He performed the pradakshinam of the temple, went in and fell flat before the deity as per the instructions of his sister who pleaded on his behalf before the Lord.

He became highly surcharged with devotion to the Lord and sang a Padiham beginning with the words; “Kootraayinavaar vilakki ahaleer” spontaneously in which he dedicated himself to the all time service of the Lord and prayed to be cured of the shooting pains in the stomach. Immediately on the ending of the recital, the pains vanished. He was thrilled at the mercy shown to him by the Lord whom he had forgotten all along. Then he heard the Unseen Voice of the Sky telling him: “You shall hereafter be known as Tirunavukkarasu or Vageesar, the master of speech, as you have praised me in a Tevaram in sweet Tamil through my grace!” Tirunavukkarasu was overcome with great devotion to the Lord and like his sister Tilakavati he did service in the temple weeding away unwanted growth of grass and keeping the precincts clean. He

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always meditated upon the Lord and sang his praise. He attained great praise as a Siva Bhakta par excellence.

This news came as a thunderbolt to the Jains at Pataliputra. They thought that it would deal a death blow to them if the king were to believe in Saivism. So they went to the king and told him that Dharmasena forsook the Jain order alleging falsely that he was not cured by them and their religious procedures. They further said that he was carrying on a tirade against Jainism. The king yielding to their pressure sent for Tirunavukkarasu with a view to punishing him. The latter refused to follow the ministers of the king saying that he was the servant of Lord Sankara alone and he was not bound to any other person. He sang a Padiham beginning with the words: “Naamaarkum Kudiyallom”. The ministers fell on their feet and told him that they would lose their jobs and even lives if they were to go to back to the king without him. The saint pitied them and followed them to save them from the wrath of their king. He put his sole trust in Lord Siva and appeared before the king. On the advice of the scheming Jains, the king ordered him to be put in a fuming dungeon where lime was being prepared and got it closed. Thirunavukarasu prayed to Lord Nataraja saying that there could not be any danger to the devotees of Lord Sadasiva. He felt cool breeze and all heat vanished. He sang praising the Lord in a Padiham beginning with the words: “Maasil Veenayum Maalai Madiyamum Veesu Thenrralum...” meaning that he was able to enjoy such bliss under his feet. On the eighth day the king opened the dungeon and was stunned to find him alive. The Jains ascribed his survival to his having practiced Jain mantras and advised the king to poison his milk and make him drink it. Thirunavukkarasu drank that milk unhesitatingly singing the praise of Lord Siva beginning with the words: “Podiyaarkum Tirumeni ... Adiyaarkunamju Amudam avadudaam adbhudamaa” — when poison became ambrosia to the Lord smeared all over with ashes, is there any wonder in its having no effect on his devotee? Seeing him alive the Jains asked the king to have him trampled by the royal elephant. It was done. When the elephant however saw Tirunavukkarasu who stood firmly praying to Lord Siva, it made a circle round him, leant before him and then started going back. The mahout egged it on to trample upon him. But then it became wild, attacked the mahout and the evil Jains and killed them. The rest of the Jain monks wept before the king saying that Dharmasena was protecting himself through their mantras and would be a potential

danger to them. They asked the king to get him drowned in the sea by tying him to a big rock. Even that was done. But Tirunavukkarasu was not perturbed. He surrendered himself to Lord Siva saying: “O Knower of the Vedas! The Panchakshari ‘Om Namasivaya is the only refuge to me and your power alone can help me now when I am plagued by a rock and being drowned”. The Lord heard his prayer. The rock floated and he became untied. There, singing the praise of the Lord, he floated on to the shores of Tiruppaadiripuliyur or Cuddalore. The devotees of the place hearing of his arrival unhurt, whole and sound, gathered together and welcomed him warmly. They went into the local Siva temple where Tirunavukkarasu or Sri Appar as he became more widely known sang: “Eenrraalumaayi Yenakku yendayumaaji”... meaning: “You have protected me, your humble servant, in an unforeseen way even like my father and mother.” Appar stayed there for some time and after visiting Tirumaanikkuli, Tirruttinai and so on, came back to Tiruvadiham where the residents gave him the heartiest welcome. He spent his time there as usual performing his customary service of cleaning, the precincts of the temple by weeding out the unwanted growth of grass.

The miraculous escape of Appar and his divine acts came to the ears of the wicked ruler who had earlier persecuted him listening to the evil advice of the Jains. The king became repentant and feeling afraid as to what would happen to him for having ill-treated such a devotee of the Lord, came over to Appar and begged for his forgiveness. He thereafter punished the Jains for having misled him, destroyed their mutts and built a temple for Lord Siva at Tiruvadiham. He became an ardent Saivite. Appar desired to go to all Sivakshetras and offer songs of praise to the Lord at every place. After going to Tiruvennainallur and Tirukkovaloor, he came to Tirupennakadam. Here he felt that his body which had been polluted by Jain signs required purification. So he prayed to the Lord at Tiruttoongaanai Madakoil to print his ensigns on him. Lord Siva was pleased with his sincerity and ordered the Commander of his Pramadha Ganas to do so. It was done and seeing the prints of Trisul and Vrishabha on his body Appar’s ecstasy of joy knew no bounds. He sang thrillingly about the Lord’s unbounded mercy towards him.

He went to Arutturai, Vriddhachalam and other pilgrimage centres dedicated to Lord Siva and finally came to Chidambaram. It appeared to him as if the Lord himself welcomed him. He sang about the glory

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of the Lord and remained there for some time. He heard that the great devotee Tirugnana Sambandhar was at Sirgazhi and decided to go there and pay his respects to him. Sri Sambandhar received him with great joy exclaiming: “Appare!” Appar offered his salutations to him saying: “Here I am your humble servant!” Sri Sambandhar embraced him. It was a sight for the gods to see. It was like the union of the Lord’s mercy with the Divine Mother’s love. On the request of Sri Sambandhar, Appar sang sweetly of the Lord who permeated the whole Universe. They stayed together happily for some time at that place. Then Appar obtained permission from Sri Sambandhar to visit the holy Sivakshetras in Chola mandala and proceeded on his journey. After worshipping at many kshetras and singing the praise of the Lord in charming hymns in Vnuttams of Tondaha, Kurumdoha, Nerisai, Tirocchand and the like, he came to Tirunallur on direction from the Lord himself. Here the Lord gratified his desire by placing his divine feet on his head in a dream and showered his grace on him. Appar was beside himself with immense joy and sang in ecstasy.

At that time there was a sterling devotee of Lord Siva called Appoodi Adigal Nayanar at Tingalur. He had the highest regard for Appar. He showed this by building choultries, gardens, wells and naming them all after Appar. He called his sons as First Vageesa, Second Vageesa and so on. Hearing about this Appar decided to visit him. Apoodi Adigal received him with great respect and love and invited him for dinner in his house. Appar was very much overcome with the affection and devotion of Appoodi Adigal and agreed to be his guest. Then the first son of Appoodi died of snakebite as he was fetching a plantain leaf. The parents were shocked at it; but as they did not want Appar to go without food, they kept the matter a secret and invited him to take food. But Appar scented that something was wrong. By his divine powers he could find out what had happened. Struck with their sincerity and devotion towards him, he directed them to bring the boy’s body to the temple. There he prayed to Lord Siva, the vanquisher of Yama, in ten songs alluding to his Mrutyunjaya aspect. No sooner did he finish his prayer than the boy got up whole and alive as if from sleep. Appoodi Adigal and his family felt themselves highly blessed. But Appoodi was sad that there was interruption in serving food to Appar. The latter consoled him, went to his house, performed worship to the Lord and satisfied the family by partaking of the food placed before him. He spent some days with them and then continued his pilgrimage.

He reached Tiruvarur and participated in the Ardra festival there. He left for Puhalur where he heard about the arrival of Sri Sambandhar. He hurried to meet the latter who also was coming to him with equal eagerness, They met together and spent their time happily singing about the Lord’s infinite mercy towards his devotees. Then Sri Sambandhar asked Appar to describe the glory of Tiruvarur. Sri Appar did so. On hearing his recital about the grandeur of Tiruvarur, Sri Sambandhar said that he would go to that place and on his return he would remain for sometime at Puhalur with Appar. He kept his word and Appar was glad to entertain him. The place appeared to be another Kailas with Siva Bhaktas who gathered round them. During this period Sri Chirutonda Nayanar, Sri Tiruneelanakka Nayanar, Sri Muruga Nayanar and other famous devotees of the Lord visited the place and paid their respects to them, Sri Sambandhar and Appar thrilled them all with their inspiring songs in praise of the Lord.

After some time, both, Sri Sambandhar and Appar, once again started on a holy visit to the various Siva Kshetras. They came to Thirukkadavur where they composed hymns in praise of Lord Siva who saved from death the sage Markandeya. They stayed here in the mutt of Sri Guggulukalayanar, a sterling devotee of the Lord. After some time they resumed their holy journey and came to Tiruveelimila kshetram, where the resident devotees gave them a grand welcome. They entered the temple and offered a sweet garland of songs of praise and prayer to the Lord. While they stayed at the place, it so happened that rains failed and famine spread. People suffered heavily. They felt very much grieved for the people. One night the Lord appeared to them in a dream and said that they would each get a gold coin a day to feed the devotees with them. From the next day Sri Sambandhar got a gold coin from the eastern side of the temple while Appar got one from the western side. They bought provisions and fed all the devotees who came there intermittently. The coins got by Appar were of superior variety to those got by Sri Sambandhar. Nevertheless they were both satisfied and the sacred work went on. Grady though the money, they did not feel envy. Gradually due to the mercy of the Lord, rains fell and relief came. The famine was over. The two Nayanars were glad and they praised the Lord who had given them the means to tide over the crisis. Thereafter they continued their journey to other places of Lord Siva.

They came to Vedaranyam. Here they went round in Pradakshina

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in the temple and found that the opening door was kept closed and the devotees were going in by another door. This surprised them and when they questioned the people there, they were told that the door was closed from the time the Vedas left after worshipping the Lord. No devotee had been able to get it opened. Then Sri Sambandhar said to Appar: “We shall enter only by this door. Please sing the praise of the Lord and get the door opened by your pious poetic power.” Then Appar appealed to the Lord of Uma at Vedaranyam to feast their eyes with his divine vision by opening the intervening door. When he found the Lord not yielding, he sang a song of reproach for not showing any mercy to them. Then the door opened wide to the extreme amazement of all. They fell flat on the floor before the two devotees and offered their salutations to them. The two devotees along with the other worshippers entered the sanctum sanctorum by that door and worshipped the Lord. Then Appar requested Sri Sambandhar to pray to the Lord and see that it was made possible to have the door open and close forming the regular entrance for all thereafter. Sri Sambandhar sang a song. At once the door closed. It became possible to open and close it and all the devotees felt highly delighted and blissful. From that day it formed the regular entrance into the temple. The two Nayanars resolved to remain there for some time.

Appar was a little depressed for the door opened only after he had sung ten songs while it shut immediately after one song was sung by Sri Sambandhar. This disturbed his mind a little one day. That night the Lord appeared to him in a dream and directed him to go to Thiruvaayimur. He would be given guidance. Appar was pleased and the next day he followed the path shown by the person in his dream. He came to the temple at the place. His guide vanished here. Meanwhile Sri Sambandhar knowing that Appar had gone to Tiruvaayimur hastened there. Here Appar felt miserable when the Lord did not appear before him. He prayed to the Lord: “You showed your mercy when I sang at the request of Sri Sambandhar by getting the door open. Now I am at fault. Is it proper for you to disappear? Sri Sambandhar who could close the door with one song about you has come now. How is it that you are not appearing even for his sake?” Then the Lord vouchsafed his darshan to Sri Sambandhar. The latter praised the Lord and showed him to Appar who thereupon offered his prayer to the Lord begging his forgiveness and praising his mercy. After a brief sojourn here they returned to Vedaranyam.

Then hearing from the messengers sent by the Queen of the Pandyan king regarding the atrocities committed by the Jains, Sri Sambandhar made up his mind to go over to the Pandyan country and root out Jainism with the aid of Panchakshari and Vibhooti of the Lord. Appar was reluctant about it and tried to dissuade him from doing so. But Sri Sambandhar was firm in his resolve and left him.

Sri Appar left Vedaranyam after some time and, visiting the several Siva kshetras on the banks of the Cauvery, came to Tiruvaadutturai. After that he came to Palayoor and entered the temple there. The residents of the locality said that the Linga there was stolen by the Jains and hidden somewhere and what he saw there was quite a false temple Vimana. Appar became very sorry on hearing this news and then standing at a distance from it, he prayed to the Lord and vowed that he would not go one step further from the place unless and until the real Linga was placed in the temple. He refused to take food and water and remained there with his mind in deep concentration on the Lord. Lord Siva appeared in the dream of the Chola King of that place and told him the exact place where He was kept hidden by the Jains. He asked the king to reinstall him in the temple and save Appar thereby. The king woke up and finding the Siva Linga at the place indicated by the Lord got it reinstalled in Vadadali temple and took severe action against the Jains and destroyed their mutts. He offered his respects to Appar and had necessary provision made for regular worship in the temple. Appar praised the Lord for his inimitable grace and spent his time there doing his usual service.

Then he continued his pilgrimage to other places after some time. He visited Jambukeswaram, Tiruchirapalli and other places and travelled towards Tirupaingili. While on this journey he felt very hungry and thirsty. The Lord by mere volition created gardens and tanks to give him relief on the way and taking the shape of a brahmin he appeared before Appar and fed him. Appar felt relieved. The brahmin told him that he was going to Paingili and asked him if he was also going there. Appar followed him. When they were nearing the place, the new-comer vanished. Appar could now realise that it was the Lord himself that had guided him and looked after him. He offered songs of thankfulness to the Lord. After a stay of a few days there, he continued his journey, visited Kanchi and other places, came to Kalahasti and after worship there, went to Srisaila kshetra. Thereupon he went to Varanasi and offered worship to Lord Viswanadha.

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Then fired with intense yearning to go to Mount Kailas and have darshan of the Lord, he pursued his path alone on the Himalayan heights. He could not walk. He rolled on the ground and went forward. His body was bruised and became skeleton - like. But he went on with determination. The Lord was pleased with his intensity of devotion and as Appar had still to do a lot in the world he assumed the form of a sage and accosted him. Then the sage disap peared and a voice from the sky asked him to get up. Appar did so. He became as strong and muscular as before and prayed for the vision of the Lord as in Kailas. He was directed by the voice to bathe in a tank there. He would find himself in Tiruvaiyar. There he would find the place as an exact replica of Kailas and he would be favoured with the Lord’s darshan as in Kailas. Appar sang the glory of the Lord and uttering the Panchakshari plunged into the tank there as instructed. To his utter astonishment he found himself in Tiruvaiyar tank. He found that the place was transformed as it were into Kailas with every couple like Parvati and Parameswara. The Lord gave him darshan as Umamaheswara with Mother Parvati by his side and all his entourage in their usual postures and positions. All the divinities were in attendance. Appar was overcome with divine fervour and uttered soulful prayers to the Lord who was omnipresent. He felt himself highly fortunate and blessed. The illusion vanished and ultimately he found the temple as it was. He stayed at Tiruvaiyar for some days and after leaving it came to Tirupoondurutti where he caused the construction of a beautiful mutt.

Sri Sambandhar defeated the Jains, set right the hunchback defect of the Pandyan king, established Sivagnanabodham and returned to the Chola country. Learning that Appar was at Tirupoondurutti he came there. Appar was glad and to show his regard to Sri Sambandhar, became one of the bearers of the Pearl Palanquin carrying the latter. He was found out and Sri Sambandhar embraced him. Theirs was a blissful reunion. Learning from Sri Sambandhar about his spiritual conquest of the Pandyan country, Appar desired to visit the country and did so after taking permission from him. He went to Madurai and was received with great honour and pomp by Mangayarkkarasi and Kulacchira Nayanar. He went to Rameswaram and returned to Tiruppuhalur. He lived with complete dedication to the Lord who wanted to make public Appar’s complete disregard for material wealth. The Lord filled the temple precincts with all precious metals and varieties of gems. But Appar swept them off to nearby pits without as much as even a slight

look at them. The celestial damsels tried to corrupt his morals and failed miserably in their attempts. He was always of the mind of Lord urging his mind to think of Siva and Siva alone.

“Siva Siveti Sivetivaa Bhava Bhaveti Bhavetivaa Hara Hareti Haretivaa Bhaja Manassivameva nirantaram!”

He directed his mind to always worship Lord Siva going by the names of Bhava and Hara and only Siva and none else.

He spent all his time thus and finally attained the divine feet of the Lord. He was permeated by Siva-consciousness and was a practical illustration of the following prayer:

“Aatmaa tvam Girijaamatihi SahacharahaPraanaaha sareeram gruham Poojaate vishayopabhogaarchanaa Nidraa

Samaadhisthitihi Samcharaha PadayohpradakshinavidhihiStotraanisarvaagiro Yadyatkarmakaromi tattadakhilam

Sambho! Tavaaraadhanam!”

He felt the Lord to be his soul, Mother Parvati to be his vital breaths of life and the Lord’s abode to be his body. All his actions in pursuance of his senses constituted his worship. His sleep was his state of Samadhi, All his movements consisted of the pradakshinam of the Lord. All that he uttered was the Lord’s praise. In fact whatever he did, he did as worship of Lord Sambhu. His Tevarams contain this truth and singing them is sure to lead one to the lotus feet of the Lord.

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sri sundaraMoorTi nayanar

(Vouchsafed to my Adiyaan Aasaan Sadguru Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Swamighal to gratify the desire of his disciples)

The auspicious Pongal day Monday 13-1-75. Time 1 P.M. Place “OM NAMASIVAYAM” Ashramam, Madras. The devotees of Sri-La-Sri Pandrimalai Samikal gathered were eagerly waiting and watching for the miracle to happen. At the request of one of the devotees present, His Holiness Samikal supplicated Lord Muruga to bestow an article on Saint Sundaramoorthy Nayanar and, Lo a sheaf of type written sheets flew with a flutter into Samikal’s hands. The devotees present felt the divine thrill and vibration within them in the presence of Lord Muruga. They paid their obeisance to His Holiness who asked one of the devotees to read and translate the English article into Tamil. The article is reproduced above.

[The above article appeared in the quarterly journal “Light of Pandrimalai” dated April 10th 1975]

“Trayeevedyam Hrudyam Tirpuraharamaadyam Trinayanam

Jataabhaarodaaram Chaladuragahaaram Mrugadharara

Mahaadevam Devam Mayisadayabhaavam Pasupatim

Chidaalambam Saamam Sivamatividambam hrudi Bhaje!”

I offer worship in my heart to Lord Siva who is known through the three Vedas and who fills the heart with bliss. He is the destroyer of the three cities and the Beginning of everything. Three eyed and with matted locks of hair, he looks majestic with the moving snakes forming his garland with the antelope borne by him. He is the great Lord who is All merciful towards me showering his grace in full on me with immense kindness. He is the Lord of the Chit ever in the company of the Divine Mother enacting the drama of world perpetrating its ways.

The infinite mercy of the Lord towards his devotees is exemplified very beautifully in the life of Sri Sundaramoorti Nayanar who was called Tambiran Tozhar or friend by Him. Sri Sundaramoorti Nayanar was formerly the devoted attendant Sri Haalaahala Sundarar in Kailas. He

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was the animated reflection of the Lord. One day Lord Siva decorated himself beautifully and looked at himself in the mirror. His reflection charmed him so much that he directed it to come out taking life. The resultant person was Sri Haalaahala Sundarar who became the most beloved of all the attendants of the Lord.

One day he saw the two boon companions of the Divine Mother, Anindita and Kamalini, in the flower garden and fell in love with them. They were also similarly affected. The Lord found it out and ordained that he should take birth in the world along with them and return to Kailas after enjoying all pleasures. Sri Sundarar could not bear the separation. But he had to bow to the inevitable. He prayed to the Lord: “Though in the world, kindly grant me the strength to remember you always and never to forget your lotus feet. Let me have your protection and save me from the tentacles of Samsara.”

The Lord promised to do so.

Sri Sundarar was born as the son of a sterling devotee of the Lord, called Sri Sadayanar, living at Tiruvarur. His mother Isai Gnaniar was the ideal wife vying with her husband in the worship of the Lord. The child was named Nambiyarurar and everyone loved him. One day the ruler of the country Sri Narasingamunaiya-rayan saw the boy playing in the street and felt drawn to him. He wanted to rear up the boy in his palace as he could not bear the separation from him. The parents agreed to the proposal of the king. Though Sri Sundarar was brought up in the palace, he followed the religious rites enjoined upon a saivite brahmin and had his mind concentrated upon the Lord. He became well versed in Vedic lore and kingly knowledge.

When he came of age his father thought of getting him married to the daughter of the Sivacharya, Sri Sadangavi, living in Tiruputtur near Tirunavalur. All preparations were made for the marriage and the village put on a festive appearance earning for itself the name “Manam Vanda Puttur”. - the Puttur of marriage. Just at the time of marriage ritual, Lord Siva came disguised as an old brahmin and said that he had a dispute with the bridegroom and unless that was settled the marriage should not take place, Sri Sundarar was surprised as he did not know the fellow at all. He asked the old man to state the point of dispute. The old man said that Sri Sundarar was given as his bond slave by his grandfather and he had a document to that willed by him. Sri Sundarar ridiculed him and addressing him as “Pitthaa!” or mad man said that

the claim was absurd and unnatural. No one ever heard of a brahmin being given as the slave of another. The old man showed his document and emphasised his claim. Sri Sundarar snatched the paper and tore it into pieces. The old man cried out for justice and the elders came forward to settle the matter. The old man asked them to follow him to his village of Tiruvennainallur and he would produce the original document and substantiate his case as what was torn by the bridegroom was only a copy. All went to that village and here in the presence of all he produced the document wherein it was clearly stated: “I hereby declare that I, the Adisaiva named Aaroorar, residing at Tirunavalur village, solemnly pledge that I and my descendants shall serve as bond slaves to the mad man of Tiruvennainallur. This is written out of my free will and without any reservation”. Then followed the signature of the grandfather of Sri Sundarar with the signatures of witnesses. The handwriting was identified. Sri Sundarar had no other go than to agree to be the slave of the old man. The residents of the place asked the old man as to where he lived as they had never seen him in the village before. The Lord thereupon led them into the temple of Tiruirulturai and disappeared. All searched for him in vain. Sri Sundarar cried out aloud for him. Then the Lord gave him darsan and reminded him of his mission saying that he had enacted the drama of claiming him as his servant only to save him from the evils of samsara and put him firmly on the path of Sivajnana.

Sri Sundarar was overpowered with the kindness and mercy of the Lord towards him. The Lord asked him to sing his praise in sweet Tamil songs. Sri Sundarar supplicated saying that he was ignorant and unequal to the task and wanted to know how he could sing his praise. The Lord told him: “You have called me a madman-‘Pitthan’. Begin your songs with that word. I gift you with the power of the muse.” As a result of the grace of the Lord, Sri Sundarar became poetic and poured forth divine songs beginning with the lines: “Pittaa! Piraisoodi Perumaane Arulaalaa...” O Madman! The wearer of the Moon’s phase. Paramesa, the Ocean of Mercy, I cannot forget you. Why is it that my mind does not waver and go away from you? O Sadasiva! Manifest in the temple of Arulturai in the village of Nallur on the banks of the South Pennar! How can I say that I am not your servant?” The Lord was pleased with his song and asked him to continue in that strain, saying that His grace was fully on him. This ended the marriage of Sri Sundarar at the time and the intended bride, regarding him alone as

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her husband, pined away and attained the lotus feet of the Lord. Sri Sundarar decided to go on a pilgrimage to all the Saiva kshetras and sing the praise of the Lord present in Archa form thereat. He was followed by a large number of disciples. At the temple of Lord Siva in Tirutturayur he prayed to the Lord in a Padiham-ten verse-to grant him the way of Tapas. The Lord granted his request.

Thereafter he went to Tiruveerasthaaneswaram. He did not enter the place. He stayed at a mutt nearby in Siddhavata. He meditated on Sri Veerasthaaneswara and lay down to sleep. The Lord took the shape of an old brahmin and entered the mutt. He placed his feet on the head of Sri Sundarar and prepared to sleep. Sri Sundarar woke up and protested against it. It happened once again and when Sri Sundarar shouted against him angrily at the outrage, the Lord said: “You have not so far recognised me” and disappeared. Sri Sundarar felt abashed and grieved at his fault in not having identified the Lord who came to purify him by placing his divine feet on his head. He sang several songs in praise of Sri Veerasthaaneswarar after a holy bath in the river Gadilam. After that he visited Tirumaanikkuli and Tiruttina and then left for Chidambaram.

Hearing about his arrival the Saivite devotees of the place gave him the warmest welcome. He had the divine vision of the Tandava Nritya of the Lord in Chitsabha or Chitrambalam. Outright the composed songs with the import that he felt highly blessed in having been born as a mortal as it enabled him to have the blissful vision of the Master of Tandava and pay obeisance to him. Then he heard the words from the Sky: “See me at Aaroor “. He started for that place. He came to Sirghali and did not enter the place as he did not want to tread in that holy place of birth of Sri Gnanasam-bandhar and sully it. He prayed to the Lord who at once gave him darsan as in Kailas along with the Divine Mother on the Mount of Nandi. He sang a song of forty lines with divine fervour praising the mercy of Gireesa. He then went to many other Siva Kshetras singing songs in praise of the deity there and finally came to Tiruvarur.

The devotees of the place were already alerted by Lord Thyageeswarar and they accorded him the heartiest welcome. He was pleased with their right royal welcome and singing a Padiham, meaning: “My father is here. Please question him whether he would accept me as his servant”, entered the temple. He entered the sanctum sanctorum of Sri

Valmeekanaadha and fell prostrate before the Lord. He sang a thrilling song praising the Lord’s glory. Then the Voice was heard from the Sky: “From this day I am your friend. You shall hereafter appear in the form of a bridegroom in which you were when I made you my bond slave at Tirunavalur”. The title “Tambiran Tozhar” thus conferred upon Sri Sundarar by the Lord himself shows how great a devotee of the Lord he was and how the Lord loved him. This threw him into ecstasy and he expressed his feelings of gratitude, devotion and love to the Lord in sweet poems. He continued to serve the Lord of Tiruvarur with the greatest zeal.

As fate would have it, one day he saw a very beautiful maiden in the temple and was won by her charming form. She was Kamalini, the boon companion of the Divine Mother in Kailas, born to work out her destiny in the world as per the order of Lord Siva, She was born as a danseuse and was called: “Paravaiyar”. Sri Sundarar fell in love with her at first sight and sought the aid of the Lord himself to make her, his own. The Lord ever at his beck and call agreed to do so and brought about the marriage between him and Paravaiyar. Sri Sundarar was overcome with feelings of thankfulness to the Lord who had once stopped his marriage and now stepped in to gift him with the lady after his heart. He sang soulfully about the liberality and generosity of that greatest giver of boons, Lord Umamaheswara. The Lord also supplied him with grain and gold whenever he wanted. One day Sri Sundarar saw a group of devotees of the Lord and wished very much to serve them and sing about them. So he approached the Lord requesting him to give him the power and capacity to sing about those devotees, making him know about their history. The Lord was pleased with his request and said: “My devotees are peerless gems. They always live by me and love me. Their minds always dwell on me and they do not go after mundane things. Go after them and sing their praise.” Sri Sundarar pleaded his inability to do so on account of his ignorance about their life history. Then the Lord said to him: “Begin your song with the lines: ‘I am the servant of servants of servants of the devotee-residents of Chidambaram’ and you will know what all you want to know about them and sing sweetly of them.” Sri Sundarar was overcome with feelings of gratefulness to the Lord who thus showered his grace in full on him. He went to every devotee, served him and praised him in sweet garlands of verses, inspired by the Lord. This group of verses was called “Tiruttondattaha”. He made mention of the

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sixty three Nayanmars and described their virtues.

At one time the devotee at Kundayur who was supplying him with grain found it impossible to do so due to failure of rains and consequent lack of crop. He felt miserable and slept without taking any food. The Lord appeared to him in a dream and said that he would give the grain necessary for Sri Sundarar. In the morning when he woke up the devotee found his whole house full of mountainous heaps of corn that spread here, there and everywhere. He ran to Sri Sundarar to inform him about this miracle. Sri Sundarar knew about it already through the Lord and accompanied him to Kundayur saying that the Lord had showered his grace on him. Seeing the huge quantity of grain there, Sri Sundarar thought that only the Lord could transport it to Paravaiyar’s house. He therefore went to the temple of the Lord at Kosali nearby and prayed to the All merciful deity: “Vaalina Kan maravaal vaadi varun-daame...” O Lord! Let not the lotus-eyed Paravaiyar decay on account of sorrow! I pray to you! Then in response the Voice from the Sky was heard saying: “O Sundara! Don’t feel depressed. I shall see that the grain reaches Paravaiyar’s house through my Bhootaganas.” Sri Sundarar was very happy and told Paravaiyar about it. Next morning to the extreme amazement of all Paravaiyar’s house as well as the village residences became filled with grain. Sri Sundarar praised the Lord’s bounty.

A devotee called Kotpuliyar invited Sri Sundarar to Tirunaatyattaankudi. Sri Sundarar agreed and started on a pilgrimage. When be came to the place Kotpuliyar received him in a fitting manner and offered his two daughters in marriage to him. Sri Sundarar regarded them as his daughters and went into the local temple. There he praised the Lord in verses saying: “Poon, Aan, Aavadu or Aravam...” He declared: “All your ornaments are snakes.” and said that he had taken the daughters of Kotpuliyar as his own. Therefrom he went to Tiruvarur and lived happily with Paravaiyar.

Again there was the festival of Phalguni in Tiruvarur and Paravaiyar wanted to feed all the devotees who would be coming there for the festival. Sri Sundarar came over to Tiruppuhalur to collect money for the purpose. He went into the temple there and prayed to the Lord saying: “I would feel grieved if I were not to receive money even after praying to you.” That night he slept there keeping some bricks under his head to serve as a pillow. In the morn ing when he woke up he found

those bricks as well as other bricks in the temple precincts turned into gold. He was overwhelmed with gratitude and love towards the Lord and sang his praise. He got the bricks carried to Tiruvarur and visited the temple at Tiruppanayur on the way. Here he described the Lord in a Padiham as the most beautiful master of dance.

After some time Sri Sundarar once again undertook a pilgrimage of all kshetras singing about the Lord’s praise at those places. When he was at Tiruaalampulai the Lord appeared to him in a dream and asked him: “Don’t you intend verily to come over to Padi?” Immediately Sri Sundarar got up and came to Padi where he sang the praise of the Lord in verses beginning with: “Ponnaar Meniane Pulittholai...” – “O Lord of golden body wearing the skin of the tiger…” He was blessed by the Lord. From there he went to Jambukeswaram and prayed to the Lord in melodious songs. Then at Tiruppachilaasramam he wanted gold and offered prayers to the Lord for the purpose. There was no response from the Lord. Thereupon Sri Sundarar poured out his distress in a song beginning with the words: “Ivar Allaru Illayopiraanar... “ He said: “Is there no deity other than you? Am I not your servant? Why did you give me this head and this tongue? Have I spoken ill of you?” He used the third person while addressing the Lord. The Lord was very pleased with his outpouring and instantly gave him a heap of gold. After residing at the place for some time, Sri Sundarar set out once again on his pilgrimage. He visited places like Tiruppaingili, Paandikodimudi and so on and had darsan of the Lord in various forms at those places. When he failed to visit Kudaliyatrur, the Lord appeared as an old brahmin and led him there. After that he came to Vriddhachala. He sang bewitchingly about the Lord in a verse beginning with the words: “Meyyai Mutrappodi” addressing the Lord as one deeply fond of and covered with vibhooti all over the body. Sri Vridhachaleswarar was immensely pleased with his song and gave him twelve thousand gold coins. Sri Sundarar requested the Lord to see that the heap of gold reached the house of his at Tiruvarur in a way that would spectacularly affect the people there. Then the Lord said to him: “You drop these coins in the river nearby and you will find it in the Kamalalaya lake of Tiruvarur in a heap.” On hearing these words of the Lord from the Sky, Sri Sundarar took one coin as a sample for identification and put the rest in the river Manimuktar. From that he went to Chidambaram and other kshetras. Finally he came to Tiruvarur

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to Paravaiyar. After some time he took Paravaiyar along with him to Kamalalaya to take back the gold given by the Lord of Vriddhachala as directed by him. His search proved futile as the Lord desired to hear him sing further. Paravaiyar ridiculed him. Then Sri Sundarar invoked Sri Vriddhachaleswarar and sang a Padiham beginning with the words: “Pon Sayida Menianeer” and said: “You have asked me to take the gold from here. Don’t insult me before Paravaiyar.” Still no response. Then he began to sing powerfully: “YettaaduIrundu Ariyen”- “I never be without praising you.” He found the gold. But on comparing it with the coin kept by him for identification, he found that the gold was of inferior variety. Then again he prayed: “”What is wrong with me? Am I not your humble servant? Why did you do this?” The Lord made it purer and of the variety desired. All were stunned at what they saw and they praised the greatness oddly exhibited by the Lord to whom Sri Sundarar’s songs were nectar so that he created situations time and again to hear him.

Later on once again Sri Sundarar undertook a pilgrimage. As usual he sang of the Lord at every place. Whenever he was in need of food or drink the Lord took care of him and ministered to his needs appearing as an old brahmin. The Lord even begged food for him at Tirukkachoor and relieved his hunger. Sri Sundarar went to Kanchi and described the glory of Sri Ekamreswarar in his inimitable way and prayed for gold that he needed. The Lord granted his desire as usual. He visited Sri Kalahasti and after staying (here for some time, he came to Tiruvotriyur. Here he found the matchless beauty, Sanghiliar, who was the lady-in waiting. Anindita, of the Divine Mother, born in the world like him to work out his destiny. He fell in love with her. Learning who she was, Sri Sundarar prayed to Lord Thyageesa to see that she was married to him as he could not live without her. The Lord once again came to his rescue. He promised to make Sanghiliar his wife and appeared to her in a dream. The damsel promised to marry Sri Sundarar provided he vowed never to leave her and return to Tiruvarur. Sri Sundarar had to take the oath to that effect before the Lord and marry her. He lived happily with her for sometime. But when spring came he thought of the festival at Tiruvarur for Sri Valmi-kanaadha and felt very depressed and despondent that he was deprived of the opportunity of attending the function. He sang expressing his feelings: “Yettanai nail pirindirken Yennaarur Iraivanaye...”- how long can I be separated from you, my Lord of Tiruvarur, Sri Valmikanaadha!

He could not bear the pangs of separation from that Lord and so went out of the village to go to Tiruvarur. That very moment he became blind in both eyes for having transgressed the word of oath to Sanghiliar. He wept at what had happened and prayed to the Lord for forgiveness. He continued his journey towards Tiruvarur aided by the devotees. At every temple on his way he prayed for the restoration of his eyesight. At the temple at Tiruvenbakam the Lord gave him a staff to guide him. He went to Kanchi where the Lord granted him sight in the left eye having been pleased with his soul stirring songs. At last he came to Tiruvarur and surrendered to the Lord praying for the grant of sight in the right eye also. The ever-merciful Lord could not bear his sorrow and restored his eye sight as prayed for. Sri Sundarar was in ecstasy of joy and praised the Lord’s boundless love towards him.

Back at Tiruvarur he wanted to go to his wife Paravaiyar who refused to have anything to do with him and asked him to go to Sanghiliar. This made him miserable. He prayed to the Lord to effect reconciliation. The Lord, who could not say no to him in anything, went as an emissary to Paravaiyar. He persuaded her to live with Sri Sundarar again which she did out of deference to him. The grip of Sri Sundarar’s songs on the Lord was so powerful. The news that Sri Sundarar made use of the Lord as go-between came to the ears of that great devotee of the Lord, Yeyarkon Kalikama Nayanar. He vowed never to see the face of Sri Sundarar who had used the Lord as a menial. The latter came to know about his vow and appealed to the Lord to make him his well-wisher. The Lord was ready to go to his succour. He made Kalikama Nayanar suffer from a severe type of stomach ache. When Kalikama prayed to the Lord for a cure, he was told that only Sri Sundarar could cure him and none else. Kalikama did not like to be cured by Sri Sundarai whom he regarded to be a sinner against the Lord. So, hearing about the arrival of Sri Sundarar to cure him on the orders of the Lord, he killed himself. Then Sri Sundarar unable to beat the thought that he became the cause of the Nayanar’s death made up his mind to kill himself. But the Allmerciful Lord gave life to Kalikama Nayanar and made them friends again. They embraced each other and going to the temple at Tiruppumgur prayed to the Lord for his infinite mercy towards them.

Sri Sundarar completely stole the heart of the Lord by his delicious fare of breathtaking songs. Sri Cheraman Perumal, the king of Malayala Country, was a sterling devotee of the Lord and he was directed by him to go to Tiruvarur and see Sri Sundarar. Sri Cheraman was received with

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open arms by Sri Sundarar and they travelled together to many Siva Kshetras. They went to Rameswaram and Tiruchuli. In the latter place, the Lord appeared in strange attire in his dream and said to Sri Sundarar: “I am at Kaanapperur.” Praising the Lord’s kindness, he proceeded further along with Cheraman, They journeyed on the southern side of the Cauvery and reached Tirukandiyur. After worshipping the Lord there, they wanted to go to Tiruvaiyar on the opposite bank of the river which was in spate and could not be crossed. Seeing that, Sri Sundarar sang a Padiham beginning with the words: “Paravum Parasum” and offered prayers to the Lord. The swollen river gave a path to the two devotees to the astonishment and awe of all. They went to the other side and worshiped Sri Panchanadeeswarar. After that Sri Sundarar went along with Cheraman Perumal to Kerala and stayed there for some time. After spending some days there he ached to go back to Tiruvarur. He consoled Cheraman and proceeded to that place.

The king gave him untold wealth to carry with him. To test Sri Sundarar the Lord caused robbers to loot it when he was near Tirumuruganpoondi. Sri Sundarar went into the temple of the town and invoking the Lord in a beautiful song questioned him as to what he was doing when his wealth was being looted and what use there was in trusting him. Then Lord heard his appeal and all wealth was restored.

Sri Sundarar spent his time happily singing about the Lord and after some time he desired once again to go to Sri Cheraman. On his way he came to Tiruppukkeliyur (Avinasi). There he found hilarity and joyful Mangala Dhwani in one house while in the next house there were cries and groans of unhappiness. He asked the people about it they said: “Two boys from these houses had gone to bathe in a tank here. One of the boys was dragged in by a crocodile and was lost. The thread-marriage of the second boy is taking place to-day and the parents of the lost boy are inconsolable thinking about him”. Sri Sundarar was filled with pity for the sorrowing parents. He went to their house. They were extremely glad to receive him and forgot their sorrow. Sri Sundarar was pleased with their treatment and asked them to take him to the tank in which their boy was drowned. When led there he called upon the Lord of Avinasi to bring the lost boy alive. The Lord ever by his side heard his prayer and complied with his request. The parents were happy and felt as if they were in Elysium. This miracle made every one regard him as Lord Siva incarnate. Sri Sundarar performed the Upanayanam of the boy himself and left for Kerala to Sri Cheraman.

The latter was happy beyond bounds to have been blessed once again with the soul stirring and blissful company of his bosom friend and received him with all kingly honours, Cheraman worshipped Sri Sundarar whom he regarded as the Lord personified. As Sri Sundarar spent his days there, one day he had the divine message conveyed to him by the Lord to come back to Kailas. So he came to the temple at Tiruvanjaikalsm and sang the song: “Talakkutalai maale...” in quite charming style in a Padiham and said; “”Let this servant be taken to your feet breaking theties of Samsara.” The Lord granted his desire and he was taken on a divine elephant to Kailas. Thinking of Sri Cheraman, Sri Sundarar got on to it. Cheraman seeing this uttered the Siva Panchakshari in the ears of his horse which sped following Sri Sundarar and even overtook him. The latter saw it and sang; “TaanYanai munpadittaan” — “He has gone ahead of me.” Sri Sundarar reached the southern gate of Kailas and was immediately admitted into the Lord’s presence. The Lord welcomed him into his fold with great love and joy. Then Sri Sundarar spoke of Cheraman who was waiting to be admitted. He was also brought in. Cheraman supplicated to the Lord and humbly made mention of his compositions Jnana Ula and Kailasa Ula and sang them. The Lord was pleased with him and made him a leader of the Ganas. Both these songs were made public in the world by the grace of the Lord.

The life history of Sri Sundarar should be an eye opener to all. The Lord loves all his devotees and would protect them at all costs. Let the present day world note that all their troubles are due to lack of faith in God.

Though the Lord’s greatness and infinite mercy are being publicised by his minstrels and saints, they are not caring to perform sincere worship to him. Let us pray to him for his grace.

“Mahaadevamantarbhajeham bhajeham

Sadas Paarvateesam bhajeham bhajeham

Sadaanandaroopam bhajeham bhajeham

Chidaanandaroopam bhajeham bhajeham!”

Sri Sundarar’s songs charmed the Lord and they are the sure media to attain him. Let us sing Sri Sundarar’s sweet songs always.

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ePiLogue

God has created the lives of great men only to see that people tread the path of righteousness and truth that they exemplify.

The Editors of “Light of Pandrimalai” have presented the Master Mystic - Aasaan Sadguru Pandrimalai Samikal - His Life and Teachings, with the humble prayer that the Master’s Message may spread all over the world and become the source for radiating love, happiness and prosperity of mankind.

It is, therefore, apt to conclude this sacred book by quoting the following auspicious hymns of Sages Tirumular and Agastiyar, repeated quite often by Aasaan Sadguru Samikal.

‘rptid topgl;lhh; vz; ,yhj;Njth; mtid topgl;L mq;F MkhW xd;Wkpy;iy mtid topgl;L mq;F MkhW fhl;Lk;FUit topgbd; $lYk; MNk” -jpU%yh;-jpUke;jpuk;;;;;.

“Countless Devas worship Lord Siva, Yet they have not attained their goal. The One who having worshipped Lord Siva And obtained His Divine Grace is The Master Mystic - The Guru-Worshipping The Guru is the sure means to God-Realisation.” TlRUMOOLAR - TlRUMANTHIRAM.

‘kdkJ nrk;ikahdhy; ke;jpuk; n[gpf;f Ntz;lh

kdkJ nrk;ikahdhy;; thAit cah;j;j Ntz;lh

kdkJ nrk;ikahdhy; thrpia epWj;j Ntz;lh

kdkJ nrk;ikahdhy; ke;jpuk; nrk;ikahNk”

-mfj;jpah; ghly;.

No Need for “Manthra Japam” when mind is pure and serene.No Need for “Pranayamam” when mind is pure and serene,No Need for “Vaasi” when mind is pure and serene,Manthram becomes puissant and potent when mind is pure and serene. — Saint Agasthiyar.

Aasaan Sadguru Samikal repeatedly stresses that the most puissant Manthiram is GURU’S NAME: “GURU NAMAMAE MANTHIRAM”

Hallowed be Thy Name - Hallelujah!

Infinite Ideality!

Immeasurable Reality!

Infinite Personality!

Hallowed be Thy Name - Hallelujah!

— Tennyson

AUM SRI PANDRIMALAI SWAMINAE NAMAHA!

AUM SRI PANDRIMALAI SWAMINAE NAMAHA!!

AUM SRI PANDRIMALAI SWAMINAE NAMAHA!!!

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bibLiograPhy

Tatwa Daivam Tamil Book of 1080 Pages

The Holy PanchaksharaVols - 1 and 2 English Book

The Bhavan’s Journalof Bombay, English

Light Of Pandrimalaian English quarterly Journal from Tiruchirapalli, Tamilnadu

Bhagya Barania monthly bilingual (English and Tamil) Journal from Madras,

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Documents

The MasTer MysTic - Bhagawan Sri La Sri Pandrimalai